Spirits Walk Where the Dead Dare Not Tread
by Aza Marael
Summary: In the mountains of Northwest Fiore lies the Spirit Walker Guild, revived after nearly fifty years. Of course, gaining members can be a little hard when the area is supposedly haunted... [SYOC Open]
1. Prologue

**So, I gave it a lot of thought, and against my better judgment, I've decided to start something fresh. This particular SYOC is something I've been wanting to do for a while now, and hopefully this will pull me out of the funk I've been in all summer. Also I just love magic and the Fairy Tail universe.  
The form will be on my account, and I ask that they be primarily sent via PM. Both to avoid spoilers and so I don't end up losing them through some unfortunate incident or another.**

* * *

 **X776  
Late Autumn**

She kneeled in front of a large cardboard box, unwrapping ornaments. The old Guild Hall was dusty, worn with age and disuse. The grand main hall felt empty, without people to fill the seats, food and drink to clutter the tabletops. But it was time, at last, to return home.

The old photos at the bottom of the box made her conscious of her age, of how much time had passed. She lifted each one out, placing them on the mantel with ginger hands; hanging them along the back wall with a gentleness that belied the calloused and scarred hands, dark skin like that of worn leather. They weren't quite enough to fill up the entire space, but she knew that within time, there would be more.

There was a knock on the wide oak doors, which creaked open. There were many repairs to do before the building could host any mages.

"Granny?" She looked up, smiling at the boy looking down at her. The sun leaking in through the open doors and past the drawn curtains seemed radiant, and her boy's dark eyes glittered in the sunlight. She opened her arms for him. He was hesitant and unsure—worried—but smiled nonetheless, and the world fell into place.

Her family would return—perhaps not in a physical form, but in spirit. She could not tell him, not with words, but she could show him. She could let him experience it with his own eyes, learn and find his own family. With all her soul, she wanted him to understand what it meant to have friends. _Family_.

She held her grandson close with her calloused and scarred hands, and borrowed a few more years.

 **10 Years Later**

 **X786  
Winter**

Spirit clutched the amulet around his neck—a comforting gesture as he rubbed the smooth dark surface with his thumb. A protective talisman, carved from the mountain stone, in the shape of their Guild Mark. The thought made him smile as he traced the footprint. The mountain spirits were quiet that day, the breeze only carrying sleepy whispers from the lonely peaks. It was truly winter now, snow caking the upper deck and making it slick with ice.

He was careful to edge slowly farther out, making sure not to get near the edge. He did not want a repeat of the last time.

It was still early, and he could see the Hermitage was still dark, none of the mages awake; or perhaps, none of them wanted to brave the cold floors and the icy corridor leading to the main building. The Guild was built into the side of Spiritus Mountain—the place for which he was named—and it held a view of Fiore that no other Guild could beat. Unfortunately, that also meant a long climb up and down the rocky paths for every trip into town. It was no doubt the number one complaint of the other members, to which the Master always replied, "It's good for your health!"

Dark schorl eyes squinted as the bright sun at last rose above the clouds, shedding the mountainside with a near-blinding light, and Spirit dug his weather-worn face a little deeper into the high wool collar of his coat.

Calloused and scarred hands rubbed his arms in a comforting gesture that brought as much warmth to his heart as it did to his body. "Spyro, why don't you come inside? I've got hot cocoa waiting on the bar." Shekinah smiled as Spirit turned around to stand face to face with the Guild Master.

He groaned. "Gran, I'm not twelve anymore."

She raised an eyebrow, her wizened face looking positively mischievous. "That didn't stop you last night." He ignored the flush in his face as he edged back inside. Unfortunately, icy decks didn't make for easy stomping, and Shekinah laughed.

The sliding doors connecting the deck to the main hall were closed against the wintry wind, and a large fire roared in the back of the room, surrounded by several squishy armchairs and sofas. It was the favorite hangout spot in the winter, the mantel and surrounding wall covered in photos, both old and new. The Guild Master's fondness for photos did not go unnoticed.

Spirit walked around the many large tables spread about the room, heading in as straight a line as possible directly to the bar, where a steaming mug of the aforementioned sweet drink sat waiting. He sank into a barstool, and sighed into his drink. The Guild Master already went about making more cups for the other early risers of the Guild. Well, let it not be said that the Spirit Walker Guild Master didn't make a mean cup of hot chocolate.

He had drained his mug just as the back door leading to the Hermitage opened at last, Shekinah greeting the newcomer as Spirit set the now empty mug back onto the table. He scratched at the silver Guild Mark on the back of his neck absently as they sat down beside him.

Maybe he'd have another cup of cocoa.

* * *

 **So that's it for the prologue. All the info you need for the story for character creating (for the moment) is below. The list of Guilds will be on my profile, and will be updated as they become available.  
I will not be accepting any new Guilds for the moment, but if you have any further questions about anything, just PM me. ^-^**

 **The Guilds:**

 **Spirit Walker [Submissions Closed]  
** _Status: Light Guild_

The Guild Mark is in a stylized shape of two footprints that look as if they're fading away.

The current Guild Master is an old woman, Shekinah Hugues (AKA the Grim Reaper), whose grandson Spyro "Spirit" Hugues, a nineteen year old mage, is one of the guild members.

It's located in the northwest mountainous region of Fiore, just outside and above a small town called Lilium on Mt. Spiritus. The mountain is second in height only to its neighbor, Mt. Penumbra.  
Every fall, Lilium and two other towns nestled around Mt. Penumbra - Columbine and Aster Village - hold the Harvest Festival, during which Spirit Walker holds their annual S-class Trials.

The Spirit Walker Guild is an old, old Guild that went out of business, so to speak, many years ago after a tragedy involving the first Guild Master, Hugo "Spiritus". Though not a well-known Guild, those in the area know the story well. The Guild building was left abandoned after the incident, and remained unused for many years, partly due to rumors of it being haunted. One of the youngest members—now an old woman whose name is Shekinah Hugues—brought the Guild back after many years.  
It's been around officially for only a few years, but the building's been open to mages for ten years now, and only recently has gained enough mages to actually make a name for itself. Many of its members still believe the building and surrounding area is haunted.

 **Soul Eater [Submissions Closed]**  
 _Status: Dark Guild_

It's the polar opposite of Spirit Walker the way Raven Tail was to Fairy Tail, in a way. While, for the most part, they're considered not much more than urban legend, supposedly they're a group of dark mages who steal and devour souls to gain further power.

The Guild Mark is a single, clawed demon's hand holding a loose soul.

The current Guild Master is known simply as the "Soul Stealer". They started the Guild a little under ten years ago, and unlike most Dark Guilds, they've acquired less than twenty members. However, nearly all their members are around S-class level.

 **The Neighbors [Submissions Open]  
** _Status: Light Guild_

The Guild Mark is that of an upside down house with people standing in a circle on top of it.

The current Guild Master is a middle-aged woman named Brooklyn Paise, also known as "Little Miss" or "Queen of the Stars". She helped turn the Guild around into what it's known as today.

The Guild is located in a small town called Hennaberg, which is located between two mountains.  
With the effort of Brooklyn and the rest of the Guild, a local hot spring has made the town quite the tourist attraction.

The Neighbors Guild was originally known as a Dark Guild to the locals. It wasn't so much because they were considered evil, however, but rather because the Guild Master of the time never got the proper paperwork done to become a legal guild. They were unnamed at the time still, and as the current Guild Master, Brooklyn Paise, began encouraging them to clean up their act, the local town often called the members "quite neighborly". Thus it became their name. The Master had gotten weak and sick over time, and three years later, he passed away in his sleep at the age of 54, naming Brooklyn Paise as the next Guild Master.

 **Wilted Rose [Submissions Open]  
** _Status: Light Guild_

The Guild Mark is, as the name implies, a wilted rose. **  
**

The current Guild Master is its founder, Blair Nightshade, also known as the "Queen of Bones".

It's located in the local forest just outside of Majus Town. The small town is located on the northeast borders of Fiore's central mountains.  
Majus Town is known for making and exporting lacrima and is home to some of the most talented lacrima smithies in Fiore.

Wilted Rose is a relatively new Guild, having been only three years since its establishment. Blair established it as a way to help people, but also to give former dark mages a fresh start and a new life to redeem themselves, hence the name. The members would be like roses wilted because of their previous deeds, given a new place to regrow. It's open to anyone looking for a fresh start, but has been gaining a reputation both as a place not to be messed with, but as a place that shelters dark mages trying to change. Rumors have it that the Guild Hall itself is a weapon.

 **Silent Moon [Submissions Open]  
** _Status: Light Guild_

The Guild Mark is a full moon with a zipper going through the center.

The current Guild Master and founder is Benjamin Morse, otherwise known as the "Sage". He's rumored to be at equal strength with some of the Ten Wizard Saints.

It's located just outside of Mudin, atop a plateau overlooking the town in southern Fiore.  
One of Mudis' top hangouts include the Pool Hall, with all the tabletop games and food and drinks (alcoholic beverages included).

Silent Moon is one of the older Guilds in Fiore, created atop the hill where the founder and his wife were married. It was a place built for those with nowhere else to go, such as and including orphans, street rats, and reformed criminals. Silent Moon has a strong relationship with its local town, and many of its resident mages like to hang out in Mudis in their free time. It's a well-established Guild with a strong Master.

 **Open Heart [Submissions Open]  
** _Status: Dark Guild_

The Guild Mark is a hollow half heart.

The current Guild Master is unknown as of this moment, other than the intense fear they hold over each member of Open Heart.

Being a Dark Guild, Open Heart is willing to do anything for more power. They're known in particular for completing many assassination jobs with efficiency and secrecy. At some unknown point in time, they began to dabble in human experimentation. They were known in the underworld for being able to pass under the radar of the major Guilds in Fiore, operating largely undetected. This changed an indeterminate number of years ago, when one of their strongest and most ruthless mages, the Razer, vanished, and two of their experiments escaped, leaving the Guild in shambles. Rumor in recent years has them starting to return to the underworld under a new Guild Master.

 **So I completely forgot to talk about rules and limits. Haha sorry it was late when I posted this and I'm a bit sick.**

 **So! Rules!  
**

+Each person can send in only one mage for Spirit Walker, however, you can send in another mage for a different Guild.  
+I'll be accepting up to 4 S-Rank mages, but if there ends up being less in the story, that will only be because of the submissions I get.  
+I will be accepting up to four Slayers of any kind for Spirit Walker, and possibly one or two more for another Guild.  
+I will be accepting one Celestial Spirit Mage for plot reasons.  
+The Guilds you can submit a character to will primarily be either the main, Spirit Walker, or the dark, Soul Eater. However, if you want to send in a character for either a canon Guild or one of your own Guilds, ask me first, but likely, you should be able to, both cause they will occasionally run into other Guilds and also because of the later Grand Magic Games arc. I'll keep the Guilds that have been accepted listed (with their mages) on my profile.  
-If you make your own Guild, you're welcome to create a Guild Master.  
-I'm only going to accept so many original Guilds, so be sure to check my profile to see if you want to join someone else's.  
+Since this story's timeline is primarily during the time Fairy Tail is missing, Fairy Tail mages are completely off limits.

+I'm willing to accept any age, but if your character is over 70 or under 10, please have a reason as to how/why they found and would stay at a Guild up in the mountains.  
-If your character is under 10 and you want to create a mother and/or father also in the Guild as your reason, (like Asuka with Bisca and Alzack) please ask me before submitting forms for the parents. I don't want three families or something all part of the Guild, cause it's not _that_ common.  
-If you want to submit siblings that are all part of Spirit Walker (such as Elfman, Lisanna, and Mirajane), please consult with me first.

 **Characters We Met:**

 **Shekinah Hugues – the second Guild Master of the Spirit Walker Guild  
Spyro "Spirit" Hugues – a nineteen year old member and grandson of the current Guild Master**


	2. Arc 1-1

**Arc 1 – Some Spirits Walk, Others Fly  
Episode 1**

 **X786  
Winter**

 **Spirit Walker**

"Cocoa?" Shekinah held up another steaming mug with a smile to the newcomer, receiving only a muted, sharp nod in return.

"Thank you." A single green eye closed as its owner savored the hot drink, the other eye covered by an eyepatch, as always.

Encircling the warmth of the ceramic were a pair of black fingerless gloves that protruded out of the long tanned sleeves of a jacket with orange lining and gold edging, which in itself was partially hidden by a short-sleeved coat. The coat's thick collar completely encircled her neck in place of a scarf, and a knee-high brown boot rested atop a black-clad knee, gold caps tapping against the underside of the bar top. An orange crop top was just visible underneath.

Shekinah, ever the watchful eye, recognized the attire immediately. "Going on another mission, Sophie?"

Sophie nodded again, one hand leaving her mug to touch the rose-shaped pins fastening a white-hooded cloak to her shoulder. It seemed to be a comforting gesture, or perhaps a silent prayer. Spirit was never completely sure, but the ever-sleeping cloak spirit always stirred at her touch (and only hers, as the last time Spirit grabbed it, out of curiosity, nothing had happened) so he figured it may have something to do with the latter.

The Master held a hand out with a knowing smile, and Sophie handed her one of the few ads from the board.

It was one of the biggest jobs they currently had—being so out of the way and so unknown, they didn't get a lot of jobs. Half of the government employees refused to even deliver them, and someone always had to go fetch the jobs once a month. They'd started getting more since Fairy Tail's fall from fame, but most of their jobs still had to do with hauntings and supposed curses. They got old after a while. Every once in a while, Spirit just wanted to go fight an old-fashioned monster. Aside from the occasional infestation of Vulcans.

Spirit sighed as his grandmother walked off with the ad, presumably toward her office, his fingers playing with the flash of silver in his otherwise black hair. Everything was always quieter in the winter, and thus always boring.

He tried not to show any difference to his slouched stature, turning towards the mage beside him.

"Hey, Nightwalker—"

"No."

Spirit gave up the façade, sitting up indignantly. "I didn't even ask you anything yet!"

She turned towards him with a raised brow, the slight stretch of skin serving to accentuate the three blue lines on either side of her face, like cracks reaching up to her eyes. Instinctively, he tried not to look at the burn scars that could be seen covered the fingers of her left hand, focusing on her wavy aquamarine hair instead. "And my answer is no."

Two years of trying to join her on a mission. Sophie: 98. Spirit: 0.

He decided to spend the rest of his morning sulking, and Shekinah flicked him on the forehead as she returned, handing the ad back to Sophie. "Have fun, Sophie." The crow's feet by her eyes wrinkled as she smiled. "When will you be leaving?"

"After breakfast."

"Did Spirit get turned down again?" A soft voice asked, followed by a hearty bark. A fair-skinned girl waved as she entered the main hall, giving the Saint Bernard a quick pat on the head before eagerly taking the cup of hot cocoa held out to her. Some of the freckles on her face disappeared as she took a big whiff with a happy sigh.

The Cloud Witch tucked her black skirt under her as she sat down on the other side of Sophie, her white and orange stockings perching underneath her from within a pair of brown lace-up boots. In addition to the black, fur-lined hoodie she usually wore, a thick white scarf was wrapped around her neck against the wintry weather.

Sitting on the ground beside her, the large dog barked again. Shekinah leaned over the counter to smile down at him. "Hello, Barik. Would you like something to drink?" An affirmation, and a large bowl of water was placed in front of him.

Soft pink eyes faded out of focus as the newest awakened member continued to slowly drink and savor her mug, the white fur pompom beret atop her fluffy white hair slipping off just a little. She made no move to correct it.

"Uh… Elin?" She made no move to answer other than taking another sip of cocoa.

Shekinah laughed quietly. "Leave her be, Spyro. Now, how about some breakfast?"

Her supposedly kind offer really translated to, "Spyro help me make breakfast". He gave his usual response of a heavy, melodramatic sigh as he stood, Shekinah rolling her eyes but leading the way through the little hall behind the bar.

Breakfast was to be a small affair, it seemed, as they were starting to run low on supplies. Someone would have to make a supply run into town soon, no doubt.

Spirit went about flipping pancakes as Shekinah took care of the eggs and the bacon. Pancakes took longer, especially with the amount he had to make. Feeling spiteful, he figured making a few less would teach them not to gorge.

He stacked them all on a serving plate just as Shekinah came back in for the platter of bacon. She eyed the stack before turning the look onto him knowingly. Spirit flushed in embarrassment—definitely not guilt—but she let him leave with it nonetheless.

Back in the main hall, Elin had moved to one of the bigger tables, where a teen dressed in dark grey sat across from her. His scuffed red shoes tapped against the floor absentmindedly as he huddled into his scarlet jacket, yawning over a cup of coffee. The naturally droopy shape of his deep blue eyes didn't help.

"Bringer, nice to see you up early for a change." He yawned again in answer, one hand raking through his short black hair in a poor effort to keep himself awake. Spirit rolled his eyes, setting the plate of pancakes down before taking a seat himself.

Shekinah returned soon enough, placing the plate of bacon right under Bringer's nose. It served to perk him up a little.

Unfortunately for him, he didn't get a chance to eat as the main door burst open, white-laced black boots stomping off snow as white fingerless gloved hands rubbed together to keep warm. Steel wrist guards were strapped over the sleeves of a white turtleneck, and almond-colored eyes immediately snapped to the food on the table.

"Good; I made it back for breakfast." A pair of black jeans planted themselves in a seat, and as soon as a head of long, braided sky-colored hair leaned forward, the quiet peace of the morning ended to make abound for the chaos of the day.

Shekinah just laughed. "Erie, don't eat so fast. It's not good right after a jog." She walked around the table and tapped her grandson sharply on the head. "Spyro, go wake up the others before they miss breakfast."

"Gran!"

"Listen to your grandmother, Spyro." He sent a sharp look at Erie, who spared him a teasing glance before returning to stuffing her face like the others.

He trudged over to the door leading to the Hermitage as slowly as he could get away with, not particularly looking forward to the icy outside corridor.

Already he missed the boring sleepiness of the early morning.

* * *

 **Not a whole lot going on, but I wanted to at least cop something out so we can start having some fun and so I can give you a little more background into the area. Think of this as more prologue, but with people. The chapters will likely get progressively longer, and most of the story is going to take place in West Fiore, whereas a lot of the Fairy Tail series seemed to take place in East Fiore.**

 **Also, for those still looking to submit, I've gotten a lot of female characters with hourglass shapes, and nearly everyone so far has been in their late teens. Freckles and fair skin are becoming increasingly common as well. Personality-wise, a lot of them have been distant and/or stand-off-ish, but otherwise I think you guys have been pretty good about variety. :3  
As of posting this chapter, I've got three S-class and two Slayers, so there are 2 slots still open for Slayers and one for S-class for the Spirit Walker Guild. If you want to create an S-class and/or Slayer for another Guild, PM me first, but that's still a possibility even if the main Guild's slots end up filled.**

 **Characters We Met:**

 **Sophie Nightgrass – The Cryo Phoenix and a nineteen-year-old that's been a member going on two years.** _By warcraft505_ **  
Elin Yohira – Also known as the Cloud Witch, an eighteen-year-old that's been with the guild for four years.** _By Harukawa Ayame_ **  
Barik – Elin's Saint Bernard and faithful companion who keeps her from spacing out at important times.** _By Harukawa Ayame  
_ **Jack Fae – Popularly known as Bringer, a seventeen-year-old that's been with the Guild for nearly seven years.** _By fillory-ronpa  
_ **Erie Sakamoto – AKA Five Knuckle Sakamoto, one of the few S-class mages and a nineteen-year-old whose membership is about 4 ½ years.** _By dragvil1996_


	3. Arc 1-2

**Arc 1 – Some Spirits Walk, Others Fly  
Episode 2**

 **X786  
Winter**

 **Spirit Walker**

Riley was having an awfully good dream about the largest breakfast he'd ever seen. Warm, gooey maple syrup dripping off the edge of a stack of pancakes twice his height. The steam and sweet, sweet scent of the Master's hot cocoa…

He sighed happily, and as he was deciding whether to tackle the mile long bacon or the planet-sized apple first, a shiver went up his spine. He thought nothing of it, as the warmth of a hot sugary drink would be sure to chase away any of the winter's chills.

But his peace was further shaken as the steam from the mug was chased away by a sharp breeze, cold fingers travelling up his spine as a voice whispered, breathing into his ear…

Riley would later deny the shriek as he jumped, skull cracking roughly against the roof. Groaning, he rolled over as he reached for the budding bruise, he went over too far, and in his panic brought the pillow down with him as he hit the floor. Unfortunately, it didn't exactly act as a cushion, and he lay there for several minutes, blue eyes screwed shut, remembering how to breathe.

After the pain subsided, he realized that it was _freezing_. And, unfortunately, he knew exactly why.

He was only wearing a white shirt and black sweats, having been _sleeping a moment ago_ —he was going to get the jerk back for that—and only bothered to throw on his white jacket with a cozy black fur lining, stuffing his feet into a pair of black boots before opening the door to his room.

A blast of cold wind greeted him, and he pulled the jacket tighter around himself. Snow was already starting to find its home on the once-warm floors, more flying down through the hall, getting caught in his lilac-colored hair until he shook them out.

Riley shuffled slowly against the wind, turned the corner at the end, and—as he'd guessed it—found Spirit sitting by the doorway, wrapped up in his cloak, his beaten up old staff laid neat across his shoulders. He'd be lying if he said the youngest Hugues didn't freak him out sometimes, but when he used his magic for petty things like this, Riley found it hard to be intimidated. Scraped lightly into the wood was some curly line trapped in a perfect circle.

Riley's brow twitched. After four years, he'd learned some of the runes Soul Speak magic used, even if he couldn't learn the magic himself. Particularly the ones Spirit used to annoy the rest of them. He used his boot to scuff the lines, and abruptly the wind buffeting him dropped to a light breeze, which he fully cut off by shutting the doors. Spirit scowled up at him. Riley returned the favor.

"You know I hate it when you do that."

"And you know I hate it when your 'friends' creep into my dreams." They kept up that staring contest only a few moments longer before the resident S-Class mage sighed, dropping the irritated façade. "Well, I'm up now, so I might as well get some food." He yawned.

"You should change first." Riley smiled despite himself at the advice. "I made pancakes."

* * *

 **X786  
** **Winter(?)**

 **Cosmos City**

Cosmos City was a warm, sunny, beachside resort filled with rich merchants, rich residents, and filthy rich tourists. The entirety of the place was enough to give her a headache.

Despite the wintry season, the locals were running around in shorts and swimsuits, and—having already gotten used to the snow and the brisk wind of the mountains—Sophie found herself sweating.

Beside her, a three-tailed kitsune shook out her white fur, blue eyes turning up to Sophie. "It's a little too hot for winter, isn't it Miwa?"

The kitsune—Miwa—shook her head. "Try having a winter coat."

Sophie led the way into town, eyes squinting against the abnormally large sun. There definitely was something not quite right about the place.

She didn't have to go far before an older man dressed in the heaviest winter cloak she had seen came waddling towards her. His mustache quivered atop a moth-eaten scarf when he spoke.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness! You must be the mage I requested, yes? My name is Albertus Rynold Quiterknacker, but you may just call me Mayor Q."

Sophie decided not to comment on his choice of dress. "Sophie Nightgrass."

Quiterknacker grabbed her hand, shaking it with sweaty, yet clammy hands. He hesitated, dropping her hand quickly as his face went a little slack with some realization. "And uh… You are from Spirit Walker, yes? If you wouldn't mind, could I just see your guild mark?" He smiled, probably trying to look pleasant, but it just caused his mustache to lift even higher on his face.

She rolled up the sleeve on her right arm, showing him the light blue footprints and trying to ignore the way his eyes kept flicking to her eyepatch. He nodded, perhaps a little too enthusiastically, and began ushering her away from the city center and the bustling crowds.

"I've got a problem, as I'm sure you've already heard, you see," his hands waved in the air as he spoke, not even bothering to watch where he was walking. (Not that there seemed to be a need; everyone parted around him.) "The entire town, see, is hot. Now, it's not unusual for us to have warm weather, as we _are_ a seaside town, and it's what our tourists come for, of course, but this is abnormally warm, even for us."

For some reason, Mayor Quiterknacker's voice was _really_ grating on her nerves.

"Have you thought of global warming?" Really, if she came all the way out here for this…

The Mayor pulled on his fingers; it appeared to be a nervous habit. "That's what I thought, at first, but… Well… You had better take a look for yourself."

Sophie wished she'd let someone else take the job.

* * *

 **X786  
** **Winter**

 **Spirit Walker**

When Riley finally entered the main room, dressed properly in that sleeveless blue V-Neck of his and black pants and boots—with the added addition of his white jacket against the cold air—Shekinah clapped her hands delightedly.

Compared to the annoyance of being woken up (rather rudely) before, he seemed back to his usual self, smiling and waving casually to the other Guild members in the room with a bandaged left arm; a silver skull ring glinted in the warm light. A few waved back, while some—like Lola—ostensibly ignored him.

Seated at the bar and waving back, on the other hand, was another in a white jacket, baggy black pants and boots. Unlike Riley, however, the shackles and bracelets jangled on his wrist as it moved, the notable lack of a shirt visible from underneath the unzipped jacket. Next to him sat Spirit, drawing and erasing symbols on the ground with his staff absentmindedly.

Riley headed their direction, though his eyes were already straying towards the kitchen. Despite not even glancing at him, Spirit seemed to know what he was looking for.

"I set the extra pancakes in the fridge. The bacon was gone by the time I got back though."

Riley shrugged. "Thanks for trying though. But how about you, Grim? How was that job?"

Magnus Grimoire shrugged, his long, spiky white hair shifting along his back and shoulders to accommodate. The small scar on his lip warped as the right corner curled into a wry half-smile. "You know, the usual. I faked a ghost chase through their backyard."

A raised brow. "You didn't take July with you this time?"

Magnus' half-smile turned into a full one, looking almost more amused than usual. "Who needs July when you've got copy magic?"

Spirit frowned from where he sat. "Doing things like that are why you get spirits hanging off your shoulders."

Riley grimaced at the thought, though Magnus seemed unbothered. He used to think things like that were just jokes or pranks, until he caught the Guild Master talking to one. Which would've been fine, but apparently spirits were _disgusting_.

The bark of a fox joined in on the conversation, and a small ball of pale blue fluff made a nest of Magnus' hair. Brown eyes and large ears perked up as a hand reached up and scratched its small body. A small horn of ruby shook with the movement. "Hey, Carbuncle. How was breakfast?" The fennec fox yipped in reply, and both Magnus and Spirit chuckled. Riley looked between the two of them, completely lost.

"Don't bother," a girl's voice huffed from nearby. Lola Vermillion pushed a strand of her long curly hair behind her ear, this one snowy white. Neon green mixed with the white as her hair cascaded over a white hooded parka—her winter coat, with neon green fur keeping her warm inside—black fleece leggings tucked into white mid-calf snow boots crossed at the knee. The neon green fur at the top of the boot tickled at the fleece. Her woolen gloves and neon green earmuffs were set neatly atop her white scarf, its metallic thread shining in the bright light. It was too warm in the building for even the coat, for most members, but the moment one stepped outside, it was welcome.

She adjusted the white beanie atop her head, neon green ski-goggles set atop it, just shy of squishing the hat's neon puff ball. A snowy eye with a grey pupil looked at them sharply for a moment before turning back to the dish of shakshuka. She likely made it.

Lola may have been hot, (though, let's be honest, most of the guild members were) but her personality left something to be desired most of the time.

"This Guild is a meeting place for a bunch of freaks." Riley sighed. They'd all been waiting for that one.

"Doesn't that make you one of us freaks?" Lola turned around fully, her heterochromatic eyes—her right was a neon green color and, like her left, the pupil was simply a darker shade—sharp and moody as they bore holes into Magnus' skull.

Magnus smiled a little wider, but didn't defend himself as a magic circle appeared briefly before Lola's outstretched hand. " _Electromagnetic Grip_."

Riley cringed as his friend flew into a table. Spirit just sighed. The Neon Terror threw someone into a wall or a table at least once a day. (Mr. Wolfrider even sent in money once a month to help cover the costs of all the replacements.)

"Don't you know how to respect your elders?" Almond color eyes glowered at the other woman in the room, and Lola glared back.

Spirit shifted from the bar stool he sat at. "Erie, can you not start a fight, please? I think yesterday was enough."

Neither listened to him, and Riley chuckled, taking Magnus' seat at the bar. "Just give it up, Spirit. They hate each other too much to stop fighting. Even if they did, they like fighting too much to stop hating each other."

"Well, I find it endearing! They are full of energy, are they not?" The two turned to Shekinah, who had been content to remain quiet until then. "But I'm going to need a few of you to run on down to town for supplies, so they're going to have to stop."

Magnus, rubbing a nasty bump on the back of his head but otherwise unharmed, smiled at her. "What do you need?"

"Reliable as always, Magnus." She handed him a small piece of paper. He skimmed over it, nodding to himself, pausing only once.

"Quartz?" Both he and Spirit turned to Shekinah with raised brows. She warded off their questions with a smile.

"From the mountain. You can get it later in the day, when the sun's high." Magnus shrugged to himself, though Spirit continued to stare at her with a perturbed expression.

"Right, then… Erie, can you come with me? And can you go and grab Jack? If he's not doing anything he can come help as well."

"Sure, Grim-boss!" She sent Lola one last glare before heading back to the dorms. If they couldn't find him during the day, it was where he usually was.

Magnus rolled his eyes at the nickname, but he still sported a wry smile. The others usually didn't question him when he started making requests or commands; it was one of the perks of being a senior member—both in age and years of membership.

He turned and nodded to Shekinah. "We'll be back, Master. Let's go, Carbuncle." The fennec fox, which had leapt out of Lola's temper the moment Magnus opened his mouth, made himself comfortable on his partner's shoulder.

"Get me another bracelet?" Spirit grinned, and the shirtless mage ruffled the dark hair roughly enough to nearly knock Spirit off the stool. The shackles and bracelets on Magnus' wrist jingled.

"Very funny kid."

"We're only a year apart, old man."

Magnus made a face.

* * *

 _ **Shaksuka**_ **is a Middle Eastern dish that's essentially eggs poached in tomato sauce with some heat thrown in. If you like spicy stuff, you should check it out. ^^**

 **This would've been out yesterday, but I had to go cry over Spider-Man: Homecoming. I was out of the country, so I only just got to see it. *^* And then I just watched Dunkirk. My soul can't handle this…**

 **Anyways, S-class submissions for Spirit Walker are closed. I'll still accept one or two for other Guilds, particularly during the GMG arc. There is still 1 open spot for anyone who wants to submit a slayer, and I still need one celestial wizard.  
(Not needed, but I would love one character who's genderfluid or nonbinary or something other than male/female as well as a black character.)  
I won't be taking anymore Soul Eater submissions for the moment. If you said you would send one in before the posting of this chapter, I'll still be taking them, but no new ones are needed at the moment. (If you want to submit a villain who's an independent mage or the like, please PM me about it first.)**

 **Characters We Met:**

 **Riley Drake – The Iron Skin Mage, a nineteen-year-old S-Class that's been at the Guild four years.** _By Rayzer_ **  
Miwa – A three-tailed kitsune and Sophie's first friend and familiar. She acts as a messenger and sometimes a support in combat.** _By warcraft505  
_ **Magnus Grimoire – Often simply known as Grimoire, he's twenty and has been at the Guild for over nine years, the longest of all the members.** _By PainX65  
_ **Lola Vermillion – Known as the Neon Terror, an eighteen-year-old whose membership is going on two years.** _By MusixDrag_


	4. Arc 1-3

**Arc 1 – Some Spirits Walk, Others Fly  
Episode 3**

 **X786  
Winter(?)**

 **Cosmos City**

Sophie knew this was going to be a crackpot of a job. Of course, had she known it would turn out like this, she would've handed it off to Spirit when he asked.

She dodged another flying fist from what used to be Mayor Albertus Rynold Quiterknacker, wrinkling her nose in disgust as his right hand grew back within a minute, muscles wrapping over bone and skin wrapping over muscle. Heat shimmered in the air around them, bits of blue flames still burning up what little grass there was left.

Civilians had long since vacated the area, and so the Cryo Phoenix had no qualms over flinging a large crystal shuriken at the mayor, beautiful in its snowflake pattern and deadly in its razor sharp edges. As expected, he dodged, and Sophie used that split second to start working on the half-formed plan she had in mind.

" _Cold-Fire Needles,_ " she whispered, already putting the majority of her magic and focus into the spell. She silently prayed for the small crystals forming around them to remain unnoticed as Quiterknacker leaped at her, the large gash in his cheek already healing.

She dodged another bloody fist as it launched off a gory stump, the visible bone already starting to grow back. (Definitely one of the more disgusting magic abilities she's come across.)

Sophie clenched her teeth as a finger missile grazed her arm. Those were the nastiest, in her opinion, with their gnarled fingernails and honing abilities. Unfortunately, the majority of her abilities were too destructive for a battle in the middle of the city, and it really left her with limited options.

" _Cold-Fire Giant Hexagonal Shuriken."_ Two formed this time, one in each hand, and she used one to defend from the finger missile as it circled back around, flinging the other at the mayor with a deadly accuracy. The finger missile embedded itself into a hole in the snowflake design and the mayor dodged at the expense of an arm. It started growing back.

"What _are_ you?"

The mayor smirked. "I could be asking you the same question, Cryo Phoenix."

Sophie's eyes narrowed, but before she could do anything else, a braid of wavy brown hair rose up behind the mayor.

"Heads up!"

A long claymore's black blade gleamed in the sun, silver designs whirling up and around the blade that were near blinding in the sun as it swung down, taking the mayor's other arm off. He screamed—amputated limbs weren't exactly something one could shake off, even if they could be grown back—and the new girl dodged as he flailed about, a black sleeveless coat's long tails flapping around her thighs. When she landed, she had to push the coat's hood off her head, a green and white bandana wrapped around her wrist.

She looked in Sophie's direction, her grin momentarily making some of her freckles disappear. They both ignored the mayor's screams of pain for a moment. "Thought you could use a hand! The name's Asha, by the way, though you're welcome to call me Ash."

Without the hood and the flailing of the mayor, Sophie could see the brown wrap holding her braid together, a silver feather dangling from it. She was almost positive that the feather did not belong to just any bird. Sophie nodded in a civil greeting nonetheless.

"I-I'll… I'll kill you both! I'll make you suffer the fate of a thousand deaths!" Quiterknacker roared behind her, and Asha rolled her crimson eyes.

"Like I haven't heard that one before," she turned to Sophie, "Do you want to finish him or can I?"

Sophie gestured for her to go ahead. She hadn't yet unsheathed her own sword, Nightglow, and she didn't want to ruin the blade with that thing's blood. It'd probably be a pain to clean later. Asha leapt into battle with a recklessness brought about from a lack of challenge and no real teacher, and at times she was barely dodging her opponent's attacks.

For the most part, however, Sophie stayed out of the way, observing Asha's fighting style and only pitching in when the finger honing missiles came into play. Asha's interruption, in fact, gave her enough time to finish her other spell without the fight distracting her, and when it was ready, Sophie darted into the fight.

"Get back," Asha didn't question the command, immediately running well out of the target vicinity. Sophie held Mayor Q down just long enough for Asha to get out of the way, and then she herself was leaping out of the way as a thousand crystal needles, no longer than her pinky, shot forward with a pinpoint accuracy right into the mayor.

He collapsed with a thud, and Sophie grabbed him by his bloodied shirt. If she could find out where the real mayor went, she could still get the reward.

Asha caught up to her fast, however, obviously with no intention of just leaving it at that. Sophie resisted the urge to sigh.

"You're the Cryo Phoenix! I've heard of rumors about you and several other Spirit Walker mages, but I never thought I'd actually get to meet you." She sounded like she was going to start rambling, so Sophie cut her off there.

"Sophie Nightgrass," a certain fox joined them moments later, "And this is Miwa. It's a pleasure." Asha's face practically lit up, and Sophie gave into the previous urge, sighing in resignation. She had a feeling she wouldn't be ridding herself of the other girl anytime soon. "What Guild are you from?" The brunette faltered, and Sophie glanced over to see her smile slip a little.

"I'm, uh, not part of any Guild." An eyebrow rose in a slight disbelief. She seemed to be the kind of person that'd be a part of a Guild. In fact, if it weren't for the incident a few years ago, Sophie would've pegged Asha as a Fairy Tail mage. Evidently not.

Sophie knew she was likely to regret what she was going to say next, if at least for the loss of peace and quiet for the train ride back. Maybe she'd get lucky and Asha would prove her wrong on that count. "You can return to Spirit Walker with me if you want." That smile returned full force.

* * *

 **X786  
Winter**

 **Lilium**

Lilium was always a little on the chilly side, compared to most of Fiore. The summers were pleasantly cool and the fall just cold enough for people to huddle together, wrapped in scarves and sweaters. Thus, in winter a frozen white blanket settled over the town, and the trio of mages were at the head of a path of footprints from the mountain. Once they hit Hallows Square, however, those footprints disappeared in a myriad of others, before the snow itself gave way to stone.

Compared to the summer or fall, the city center wasn't all that busy, but still more than usual as families, friends, and couples twirled and stumbled their way around the ice rink taking up most of the square.

Magnus raised an eyebrow. "I guess Tatsuki was keeping busy."

"There's a skate rental!" Erie pulled the both of them in the direction of the small shop that had been set up—it sold not just ice skates but scarves, sleds, and a host of other things. Jack seemed content to go along, but Magnus dug in his heels and stopped the both of them before they could get very far. (Which, considering Erie's strength, was a fair feat.)

"We're here to get more supplies for the Guild." He waved around the list in his hands, the thin paper flapping wildly in the wind. Erie huffed, but let go of the two boys. Magnus grinned in victory, a brief flash of another side of him before his usual wry expression returned. "C'mon, grocer's this way."

Erie rolled her eyes dramatically in protest, but followed him around the rink nonetheless. Jack followed absentmindedly, and the S-class mage glanced back at him. His droopy blue eyes were completely out of focus, and she shook her head with a fond sigh.

"Earth to Bringer~," she snapped her fingers in front of him a couple times until he blinked and flipped his attention switch.

"I—oh—I'm sorry. I spaced out again, didn't I?" He gave a sheepish smile, and both Erie and Magnus laughed, causing his smile to grow only wider and more sheepish.

"Don't worry about it, Jack. Just go get the eggs." Magnus ripped the list carefully into three sections, handing one to each person. Both Jack and Erie saluted him.

"Roger that, Boss." They escaped into the crowd of housewives before he could say anything, and Magnus just rolled his eyes.

His own list was actually very short, having handed most of it to the other two, but of course that was to keep them busy. The Christmas list was definitely longer than last year, but then, as they gained members, it grew every year.

He still remembered when it was just the three of them—him, Spirit, and the Master. He and Spirit used to come up with elaborate schemes, pooling together what money they had to get a gift for Shekinah… Magnus' smile grew.

"What do you think, Carbuncle? Think we could get everyone in on a big gift for the Master this year?"

Carbuncle yipped his approval.

...

"Think we can get on the ice rink without him noticing?"

Magnus was nowhere in sight, having quickly been lost in the crowd, and the rink was crowded enough that, as long as they kept moving around it, he shouldn't be able to recognize them. Erie was determined to get on that rink, and no one would stop her.

"Shouldn't we at least finish the shopping first?" Jack raised an eyebrow, and Erie snorted, shaking her head before grabbing him by the arm. Jack sighed, but he didn't struggle or protest further as he was dragged towards the skate rental. "If we get caught, this was all your idea."

Erie grinned. "Deal."

* * *

 **X786  
Winter**

 **Mt. Spiritus**

"It's freezing. Why did I have to come?"

"You're the only one who knows what we'll be looking for."

Spirit groaned, huddled in both his coat and Magnus'. Magnus, wearing another white jacket, rolled his eyes, though that didn't do anything to detract from his amused expression.

"How are you such a wimp with the cold when you've lived up here for years?" Spirit scowled at Erie, who laughed as she jogged past.

"She's right, you know." Spirit's scowl deepened as a woman slowed to walk in pace with the two boys, golden eyes dancing in mirth. She was wearing a simple yellow blouse and a white skirt, but she didn't seem at all cold, knee-high black boots moving elegantly across the snow.

"I don't want to hear that from you of all people, Hashimoto." Her long, light blue hair whipped across her face in the wind as she turned, a mock pout on her face. Black fingerless gloves brushed the strands away.

"Aw, what happened to our bond?"

"You've been demoted."

Izumi chuckled from where she hovered by them, her white dress nearly blending in with the falling snow. The pink exceed averted her green eyes and flew ahead when Spirit directed his ire on her instead.

"Doesn't that one look like a bunny?" Elin pointed upwards, craning her neck in such a way that showed off the light orange Guild mark on the left side of her neck.

Magnus looked up—the others had long since given up on attempting to humor Elin's attempts to stave off Spirit's grumpiness. "Actually, it kinda does."

Elin smiled in her dreamy sort of way, but she didn't say anything as Erie suddenly came bounding over a slope, jogging in place and huffing, though it seemed to be more in excitement than exhaustion.

"Guys, you won't believe what I just found!"

"The rock we need?" Spirit groused, and Erie rolled her eyes at him.

"Hot springs! C'mon, let's take a dip!"

"We don't have swimsuits or towels with us," Izumi, ever the level-headed one, pointed out.

"We can just go skinny dipping." Magnus and Spirit's heads whipped to Tatsuki, who smiled back at them, unfazed.

Whilst the younger of the two made his best fish impression, Grimoire recovered quicker, a cynical but nonetheless amused expression on his face. "I mean, I don't mind, but there are children here." His eyes flicked to Spirit, who flushed and smacked him on the arm.

"You're only a year older than me! I'm a legal adult!"

Erie swung her arms around both their necks. "Then prove it~!"

"I didn't think he could get any redder."

Magnus laughed, holding up the bag in his hands. "Relax; Tatsuki and I grabbed everyone's swimsuits before we left."

"You knew those were there?"

The resident Dragon Slayer of the group turned to Erie with a slightly mischievous smile. "Of course. You can't live on this mountain for seven years and not know about your surroundings." She paused. "Well, of course, with the exception of Spirit, it seems."

"Shut it."

...

The springs were steaming, a little makeshift border of rocks surrounding it. The rocks glinted and sparkled, and Magnus sighed as he sank into the water whilst Carbuncle perched on one of the flatter rocks near his head. Izumi perched herself next to Carbuncle.

Spirit was already huddled on the opposite side of the three, hunkering down as far into the heat as he could get. The ends of his dark hair swirled in the water, the rest of it blending into the dark forest behind him. If not for the silver streak, he could've gone unnoticed.

Tatsuki sat an equal distance from them both in a white bikini with gold rims and strips, her long hair pulled up into a bun. Magnus pretended not to notice her large bust—having had a lot of practice after many years—instead choosing to watch Spirit absentmindedly rubbing at his amulet.

"Sorry we took so long!" Erie waved, jogging towards them on her toes, and getting in with a bit of a splash. The snow in her braided hair melted almost immediately, and she pushed it off her shoulder, showcasing the black Guild mark on the breast of her pink bikini. "You wouldn't believe how hard it is to change in the snow."

Elin got in after her, wearing a frilly orange one piece with soft pink polka dots, and Tatsuki rose a brow. "El, dear, you didn't tell us you were hiding a figure under that hoodie." Elin just smiled and shrugged in response, soft pink eyes going skyward as she sank further into the water.

"It came as a shock to me too! She's so unassuming but underneath that nice girl exterior is a monster, I swear!" Erie waved her arms dramatically in Elin's direction, causing the other two conversationalists to laugh.

"But Erie, you're the S-class mage." Elin pointed out, and across from the rest of them, Spirit snorted loudly.

"She's right. If anyone's a monster around here, it's you." Erie growled, giving him a five second warning before she leapt at him, the others bursting out in snickering as Spirit went under, coming up and shaking his hair out a moment later. He didn't get much chance to recover, however, when Erie splashed him, and Spirit spluttered, trying to swim away, only for her to catch his leg and drag him back.

Spirit didn't stop trying to swim, though it looked more like he was flailing about in Magnus' direction. "Magnus, old buddy, old pal…" He spit some water out of his mouth, but Magnus only shook his head, still laughing.

"Sorry, kid."

"Then suffer with me!" Both Elin and Tatsuki moved to the far side of the spring as Spirit latched onto the other's shoulders, dragging them both down to a watery grave. By that point, Erie was laughing too hard to seriously keep a grip on him, and Spirit kicked free, pushing Magnus in her direction as a diversion. "I hate all of you."

The conversation devolved into easy banter after that, the Guild members all comfortable with each other after four years living together. Thankfully, there was little splashing or drowning involved after that, and Spirit sunk low into the water once more, occasionally shoving his wet hair out of his dark eyes.

Fingers gently ran along the rocky edges of the spring, clearing away the snow. They paused over a particular area, sparkling and glinting in the evening light, brushing away more of the snow. Spirit gently pried the large crystal out from where it must have served as part of the spring's makeshift borders, leaving a hole where it once sat. He washed it clean of the dirt and snow in the water. Little bits of light danced on the water, and Spirit understood what his grandmother wanted.

He kept quiet.

* * *

 **X786  
Winter**

 **Spirit Walker**

The Guild was notably emptier than usual by the time Aysel braved the cold floors instead of his warm bed, though he was pretty quick to climb on Kitty before heading out to the corridor. As long as he didn't put his ratty white—though they were so dirty it was hard to tell—sneakers on the floors, thick socks aside, he was warm in his sweaters and a pair of sweats. He'd decided to put his brown "I love you a chocolot!" sweater on top today, if only because Shekinah usually gave him a second cup when he did. That woman knew how to appreciate chocolate puns.

Half-lidded eyes the color of melted gold looked around at the sparse number of members actually in the building. The lack of pupil often freaked newcomers out, though a single conversation would fix that issue fairly quickly.

Riley waved as Aysel entered the room, pausing in what appeared to have been a very engaging talk with Bringer. "Hey, Aysel," Bringer turned at the interruption, but he too smiled and waved.

"You're up earlier today." Aysel climbed off of Kitty and shrugged, yawning.

"I wanted hot chocolate." He replied, and a hand came up to play with one of the eggshell white strands of his hair, which fell to his shoulders in gentle waves, no rhyme or reason to its order.

He climbed atop one of the barstools, and Shekinah smiled brightly at him as she delivered on his chocolatey wish. "One hot mug of sweetness coming right up!" Aysel's smile widened.

With Aysel now awake, that brought the current member count to five (if one included the master).

"Where is everyone?" It wasn't Aysel who'd asked the question—though he could make a pretty good guess on the few places they might have gone—but a young woman standing in the doorway, looking around with wide eyes. "Are they all on missions?"

"Hiking, actually," Riley replied, head tilted in observance of the brunette. "Welcome back, Nightwalker. Who's the new girl?" Sophie didn't respond, letting the new girl—Asha Kalama, known in her region as the Storm Spirit apparently—introduce herself.

"It's always nice to have new members," Shekinah smiled gently at Asha, pulling a folder and a stamp out from beneath the bar. Riley raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you usually keep that stuff in the office?" Shekinah just smiled at him, handing a form over to Asha and holding the stamp up.

"Just fill out what you can of that; the Magic Council can be stingy about their paperwork, but there's no need for you to worry about it. Now, where should I put this?"

Asha only had a moment of thought before she tugged her shirt down far enough to expose her left shoulder. The footprints of Spirit Walker appeared silver on her skin, allowing the other present members only a momentary glimpse before it disappeared back under her shirt and coat.

Shekinah nodded, seemingly almost to herself, before turning to the whole of the group of mages present. "Now that that's settled, I have a favor to ask all of you."

...

"…What are we doing in the graveyard again?" Lola scowled at the faded headstone that stood there, mocking her. The dead eyes of the stone angel stared back smugly.

Aysel smiled back at her reassuringly, which only served to aggravate her more. Usually Aysel _was_ reassuring—Lola blamed it on the barren graveyard. The place creeped her out, especially as the sun was setting.

"The Master asked us to deal with this since Spirit is out." He replied as if she didn't already know that.

Seemingly oblivious to her obvious discomfort, Asha continued to gush over everything. "I can't believe you guys actually have a haunted Guild! I'd always thought that just to be a rumor. So, are ghosts like actual specters with the whole see-through shtick or…?"

She trailed off, but there was no need for anyone to answer as a pair of feet glided across the dirt and dead grass, and they went silent as the woman tilted her head, appraising the area with a grace that belied the living.

"Woah…" Asha breathed in awe, barely audible even in the wintry silence. The woman, even though she appeared to be lacking the ghostly aura one might expect—unless they counted the slightly out of date dress—was a sight to see all the same, her face frigid with a kind of distant beauty. "How do we know she's a ghost?"

The woman turned, revealing the skin peeled away from her back, the back of the dress torn and thus allowing them a full view of her spinal cord, sinewy strings of muscle barely attached to the bone. Riley closed his eyes and thought of adorable puppies and flying cats in an effort to hold onto his stomach.

Jack smirked just a tad in his direction. "That's how."

Sophie gave them both a frigid look, leaning slightly closer to Asha and whispering lowly. "The Guild sits in the midst of a large energy source, so 'ghosts' tend to gather here. Normally only a select few in the Guild can actually see and communicate with the local ghosts, including the Master, but when their presence becomes visible to the rest of us, it becomes a haunting."

Riley groaned pitifully when he moved. "Let's just get this over with before I lose my lunch."

Aysel nodded, standing and announcing his presence to the woman, though being careful to maintain a fair distance between them. "Excuse me, miss," the woman whirled around, and Riley sighed in ill-hidden relief. Aysel continued to keep up his cheerful, steady presence.

"Hugo?" She had an unplaced accent, voice in a lilt that indicated nobility.

Aysel shook his head. "I'm afraid not. My name is Aysel Porter; I'm a mage for the nearby Guild."

From back behind the singular mausoleum, Lola rolled her eyes while the S-class mage continued to chat up the dead lady. " _Why_ do the rest of us need to be here again?" She hissed, though no one else really seemed to be paying attention.

Riley was still actively avoiding eye contact with the specter, Asha was still ogling it, Bringer's head was up in the clouds again, and Sophie was astutely ignoring her.

"In case this conversation goes south." Okay, perhaps she wasn't ignoring her. (It was always hard to tell with the frigid ice queen thing—which by all rights should've been the Ice Lord's thing.) Lola sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. She had yet to see that happen in her two years; and though there were lingering horror stories, it was hard to believe when one lived in a haunted Guild.

She was proven right when Aysel came back with a bright smile on his face. "She's not going to leave quite yet." Or not.

"Why not?" Riley may or may not have sounded slightly hysterical, eyes pointedly looking away from where the ghost was walking away, back to them. There was a reason he didn't usually do exorcisms.

Aysel shrugged. "It's a…. Hugues family issue."

Bringer, now back online and in the present, looked at them with an only mildly concerned expression. "That's not going to cause problems later, is it?"

Lola's lip curled at the thought. "Don't worry; I'm sure you're safe. You're one of the last ones a woman like that is going to go after."

He scowled, but elected not to say anything about it. For now. "Let's just get back to the Guild before I get frostbite on my ass."

* * *

 **So I'm pulling the plug, and all slayer submissions are officially closed; Spirit Walker submissions are also officially closed. :)))  
If I've already given you the okay to create a character but they have yet to be completed at the posting of this, then go ahead and keep on working. I won't be accepting any new characters from here on out for Spirit Walker. Any characters that I do get either won't be accepted or will be rerouted to an open Guild.  
Therefore, I'm still accepting characters for Wilted Rose and the Neighbors Guild! I won't be able to continue after the second arc if I don't get at least five characters for each because of the GMG arc. (And I can assure you, that will not be the only time they'll appear.)**

 **Also, I apologize for this taking much longer than the other two chapters. A lot's been happening, haha. :p I do want to thank GiantPsychoGecko for checking up on me in the wake of Harvey, though. Luckily, I live on a large hill, so the worst of it was a lack of sleep.**

 **In retrospect, though, this chapter definitely went longer than planned. You can probably expect that chapters will be around this long in the future, if not longer; especially if I take as long as I did this time.**

 **Characters We Met:**

 **Asha Kalama – Eighteen years old, the mage known as the Storm Spirit is one of the newest members.** _By WhitewolfLune_ **  
Tatsuki Hashimoto – AKA the Ice Lord, she's nineteen and has been a member for nearly seven years.** _By altajir95_ **  
Izumi – An Exceed and Tatsuki's best friend. They're always together, no matter what.** _By altajir95_ **  
Aysel Lachlan Porter – One of the resident S-Class mages, he knows his age only to be somewhere in the late teens. He joined the Guild six years ago.** _By Canima  
_ **Kitty – Aysel's giant, black Irish wolfhound dog. He's two years old and tends to carry Aysel around on his back, especially in winter.** _By Canima_


	5. Arc 1-4

**Arc 1 – Some Spirits Walk, Others Fly  
Episode 4**

 **X786  
Winter**

 **Lilium**

The open-air auditorium was full. It always was—since he had decided to stick around, the town had built it, and the variety of shows held there had quickly become a source of revenue for the town. His smile grew just a little wider. It was time for his exit.

"Ladies and gentlemen! I wish to thank you again for coming here!" With the echoic walls of the auditorium, his voice carried, even without the use of magic. "But now, it's time for us to part ways and say goodbye." With a twist of the wand in his hand, and the whispered, " _Scattering Doves,"_ the audience watched as the mage's body broke apart into a thousand doves, all flying out the open doors and skylights and vanishing.

Just outside one of the auditorium's side doors, the doves regrouped, reforming into a Caucasian male, his slightly slanted, teal eyes danced with mirth. He adjusted the black gloves on his hands, fingering the initials M.I. for a fond moment. His white, fish-tailed suit was still intact—he could still remember the first time he tried that trick; it ended with him nearly mooning the rest of the town—white domino mask in place. He patted the white hair slicked back over his head, frowning.

"Um…" The magician's head snapped up, looking over at a small pair of siblings looking wide-eyed at him. The oldest was probably only fourteen, but it was the younger one—a girl, younger than ten with light brown hair—that spoke. Both children had slightly ratty clothing, with the exception of the young girl's thick red jacket, the hood drawn up over her head. She was holding a large black top hat gingerly in her hands. "Is this yours, sir?"

The magician smiled, crouching down to her level and carefully picking the hat from her hands. Blue eyes lingered on the white Guild mark on his forehead. "Thank you, miss." She beamed as he pulled a rose from seemingly nowhere, handing it to her. "And my name is Julius Noventus. You can call me July."

The older of the two, a boy with greasy dirty blond hair and a little beauty mark under his eye, stepped forward and shook his hand. "I'm Jack Yuki, but I prefer Aisen. This is my sister Anya." July nodded, but the kid stepped back quickly. He was thin, unnaturally so, and his blue—they were probably closer to violet—eyes were dulled with starvation and a thirst for survival. Julius recognized it all too well, but the Yuki siblings ran off moments later.

July sighed, shaking his head and watching them go. A pair of small white hoop earrings jangled at the movement.

…

It wasn't for another few days before he saw the two again. Or rather, to be more accurate, saw Aisen. The kid was loitering around some food stalls, sticking close to a young dark-haired couple. July raised a brow. They looked like they could be his parents, if not for the way they didn't even acknowledge the kid's existence.

He frowned, but muttered, " _Invisibility_ ," and made his way closer as his body disappeared from sight. Aisen was edging closer and closer to the stall, and once within reaching distance, he muttered something under his breath and he too turned invisible. July rose a brow, and as the shopkeeper turned to speak with the couple, he watched as several apples disappeared, presumably under the folds of the kid's invisible clothing.

July had to hand it to the kid; he knew how to make a getaway without drawing attention. Most kids made a run for it—it was half the reason why they got themselves caught. Of course, most street rats didn't have the ability to use magic, evidently. Before the kid could get too far away, July started edging his way around the crowd after the sound of footsteps and the unnatural movements of crowds. Once they hit an emptier street, Aisen faded back into visibility, and then he took off running.

The kid ran several blocks, making loops and shortcuts and detours—no doubt trying to throw off any potential pursuers—before pausing, glancing around and then proceeding to duck into a little alley. July felt his spell wear off, and he stayed hidden behind the corner, glancing into the alley.

Aisen was kneeling next to his sister, the girl curled up on a dirty mattress, covered in a couple of moth-eaten blankets.

"Hey, Anya," he spoke gently, a kind of soft focus in his eyes reserved entirely for his sister. "Look what I found." He pulled out an apple from his pocket, cleaning it off with his shirt before handing it to her. She took a small bite, Aisen laying the back of his hand on her forehead as she did. And July had seen this too many times not to know where it would end.

"You know, if you wanted some food, you could've just asked." Aisen jumped, and July caught a glimpse of light glinting off a small locket around his neck. The kid seemed speechless, mouth opening and closing in some attempt to say something—an excuse, a lie—but July continued, already having an idea of what he'd been telling Anya. "I've seen this before. You can try your best, but she won't last the week."

The kid tensed, his blue-violet eyes no longer dull, but shining with a protective fierceness, and July's expression softened a bit. "And what do you propose I do?" Aisen snapped, but July recognized the fear for what it was. That same fear and desperation for survival he'd heard all too often in his own voice for years.

"Come back to the Guild with me," he tapped the white mark on his head for emphasis, "We can make sure she gets the proper medicine. I know you can use magic, so it shouldn't be a problem joining. Most of the mages stay in the Hermitage; we have more than enough room for both of you." He gave the kid a smile, held out his hand. "What do you say, Aisen?"

* * *

 **X786  
Winter**

 **Spirit Walker**

The newest members of the Guild were fitting in well. They'd both showered and slept in a proper bed, and with a little hot food and clean clothes, there wasn't even a shadow of the starving kids July had practically carried into the Guild.

They'd had to buy Aisen new clothes—black pants and a thick green jacket—though he'd refused to get new shoes quite yet, still wearing a surprisingly nice black pair. He sat at one of the tables with Riley, Asha, Tatsuki, and Aysel, the youngest member of the group playing with Kitty. Anya had gotten over cold just in time for the holiday season, wearing tight pants and a fleecy red hoodie, her light brown boots lying haphazardly on the ground as Aysel helped her get on Kitty's back. The Irish wolfhound just stood there patiently.

Mia grinned. Kitty was great with kids, and she'd always wanted a younger sister. She'd given Anya a bunch of her old clothes that were still good, and eventually was hoping to teach her how to cook and the other little odds and ends around the Guild.

She pushed up the sleeves of her sunny leather jacket, scrubbing furiously at the stain on the bar. It'd been a couple weeks since she'd started on it, and it was almost gone. She scrubbed harder, but her hand slipped as the doors opened, two people covered in jackets, snow, and bags stumbling in before they managed to shut the doors against the snowstorm, with the help of Erie and Riley.

Her head snapped up at the sound of familiar, heavy black boots stomping off the cold and lingering snow. A grin spread on Mia's face at the sight of her brother. "Bayen!"

His short brown hair had been matted down, the normally spiked up front dripping with melted snow. Flecks of snow stuck to his lashes, ocean blue eyes bright with the Christmas spirit that had infected everyone that day. He set down several of his bags, spreading his arms. "Told you we'd make it back in time for Christmas!"

Mia wrapped her arms around his brown fur coat, somehow still able to feel that muscle underneath. She was engulfed in a warm embrace, and laughed when the scratchy brush of the stubble on his face rubbed her forehead, shoving him away.

He grinned, hands up in surrender. She figured she'd let him off this time; they hadn't seen each other in months after all.

"So how was your mission?" Spirit joined the two of them, looking between both Bayen and Zack, who had made a beeline for his girlfriend. Bayen rolled his eyes affectionately; Zack and Tatsuki had gotten together only a couple months ago after Zack had passed the S-class Trials, but everyone had seen it coming for months before that.

Zack turned from their embrace to grin back in Spirit's direction, fangs poking out from his otherwise angelic smile. Black gloves with a blue shell on the back of each hand pushed his wild black hair out of sky blue eyes. "Great! They don't call them 10 Year Quests for nothing." He turned to one of the members sitting sleepily at the table by the newer members. "You really missed out Aysel. Join us next time."

Aysel just smiled and shrugged, but he didn't say anything as Aisen jumped up, looking between him and the two arrivals. "I… I can't believe it. You guys are Hell's Shade, the strongest Team in Spirit Walker." All three of them chuckled at the boy gaping at them.

Spirit just rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't say that. They're probably the least threatening people you'll ever meet." Zack walked over to slug him in the arm. The Soul Speak mage stuck his tongue out childishly. "We all know it's true. Which, speaking of, where's our famous Nightmare King?"

"Took a detour to visit with his sister. He wants to spend Christmas with her this year."

"Well then," all the little conversations stopped as Shekinah entered the room, a trail of beautifully wrapped gifts following behind her. "He'll just have to open his presents when he gets back." She turned to the floating presents with a smile and an air of gratitude. "You can set those in front of the tree there, thank you." The gifts made their way to the magnificently decorated evergreen in the center of the room, the tables having been pushed around to make room. Lights and handmade ornaments hung from the branches, including more than a few embarrassing crafts from some of the senior members. (Bayen and Magnus had been taking them off and hiding them from the Master ever year, even though they somehow made their way back the next morning. Spirit was resigned to his fate.)

"Long time no see, Master." Shekinah beamed at Bayen and Zack, gathering them both in a warm hug. She smelled like eggnog and chocolate.

"I'm glad to see you're safe, boys. And you brought presents!" Shekinah stepped back to look at the large bags they'd set on the floor, an approving look to them followed by a knowing one in Spirit's direction. Her grandson rolled her eyes.

"How did you—" Bayen made a zip-it motion, and Zack sighed. "Never mind." Indeed, as predicted, the two started pulling out wrapped boxes—some of them a little beaten up from the journey—adding them to the already rather large pile gathering under the tree.

As her brother continued unpacking, Mia stepped back towards the bar, rounding it towards the kitchen doorway. "Hey, Anya, can you help me out?" The Guild's youngest resident nodded enthusiastically, sliding off Kitty to run over and join her.

"That would be my cue," Shekinah glanced around, "I do believe everyone wants some eggnog and hot cocoa?" Vigorous nods answered, and she laughed, squeezing her grandson's shoulder as she passed. "Spyro, help me hand out some mugs, will you?"

Spirit gave a long-suffering sigh as he reluctantly nodded and followed, ignoring the other members making catcalls for extra marshmallows or extra mugs. He had no doubt his grandmother would already have those preferences covered.

In the kitchen, Mia was showing off her cooking magic to Anya, who was either watching with wide eyes or helping with the little things, such as cutting up fruit or mixing dough. Shekinah was watching them fondly, a dozen mugs already sitting on the counter. Without needing to be told, Spirit followed into the routine, creating another batch over the stove before letting it simmer as he picked up four mugs and hauled them out. His hot chocolate was never quite like his grandmother's—she had a secret ingredient that she refused to tell him about; it had become a game at some point, and years later he was still trying to guess what it was—but he knew he could still make a mean cup. It helped when he could bribe the other members into approval with extra marshmallows.

There was already a bit of a line at the counter for mugs, the older members knowing Shekinah's hot cocoa was a limited supply, but Spirit dodged them all, going straight to the newest members. Aisen obviously had yet to try any, and Spirit made a mental note to save a mug for his sister, handing another to Asha. The other two in hand were quickly taken by others.

He returned to the kitchen, setting aside two for Mia and Anya. Shekinah was pouring his batch into mugs, another pot already set out for eggnog.

Once the rest of the cocoa got passed out and the older members started moving onto the eggnog, someone added Christmas jingles and very quickly the Guild dissolved into a mass of Christmas hysteria. Spirit had managed to steal a cup of eggnog for himself, (he'd bribed the Guild spirits into keeping it quiet, but he had no doubt at least one of them had told Shekinah; they always were more loyal to her) and if he was slightly drunk singing "Jingle Bells" while cheering on Erie and Bayen, no one ratted him out.

Aysel was wearing his ugliest Christmas sweater—also his favorite, as it lit up with lights and jangled with little bells—but he'd passed out several of his other Christmas sweaters to some other members. Spirit tugged on the hem of his own, a Spirit of Christmas Past that glowed in the dark. Everyone else thought it was immensely funny, even if he didn't really get it.

He stole a cookie as Mia ran by with a plate, her pretty, dirty blonde hair bouncing in its haphazard bun. He glanced at the suspiciously cheery looking reindeer on it before setting it down on another plate. She tended to enchant her foods when people were least expecting it. He edged out of the center of the crowd, everyone too drunk on drinks and the Christmas spirit to notice. He just hoped Bayen would keep Anya and Aisen away from the eggnog (and maybe the cookies) like he did for Mia.

The Guildmaster was standing at the very edge of the room, looking at the stars from the open doors leading to the balcony. When she turned, seeing him staring, she smiled.

"Spyro," Shekinah waved her grandson over to her. Spirit raised an inquisitive brow, but followed her out onto the balcony nonetheless, leaving behind the ruckus in the Guild hall. He closed the doors, shutting out the noise as well as the warmth.

The stars were bright that night, the mountain spirits quiet. Even the breeze seemed to be holding its breath. Spirit clutched the mountain stone talisman that hung from his neck, feeling uneasy in the pit of his chest.

"Gran?" His voice was quiet; barely audible.

"I want you to be the next Guild Master." She didn't dress it up with small talk or soften her voice with sympathies; it wasn't her. She didn't look at him, and that uneasiness grew.

"Gran, you're not that old yet. Besides, last year you said I was too inexperienced to even go out on an A-Rank mission by myself." He tried to sound indignant about it, bitter even, the way he'd been for months after that day, but even that was weak.

She finally turned to look at him, a nostalgic expression making its way there. "I know. But you've always been ready for this. I just wanted to be a little selfish for a while longer."

Spirit was silent.

"Gran?" He hated how small he sounded. "You're scaring me."

She rubbed his arms in a comforting gesture, but he only felt colder. "I'm sorry, Spyro."

"For what?"

Shekinah didn't answer his question. "I love you, you know that? Both of you."

Spirit's throat closed, and he knew this was it. The quartz, the extra time she spent before the picture wall, the distance… He swallowed, nodded. His eyes stung. "I know."

She held her grandson close with calloused and scarred hands for the last time.

* * *

 **X787  
Winter**

 **Spirit Walker**

Bayen woke with a start, head narrowly missing the wraith hovering in front of him. An icy feeling crawled down his spine, and Bayen ignored the slight hangover (Mia had totally put something in those cookies; he should've known) as he jumped out of bed, tugging on the first top he could find to join his gray shorts. It was one of Aysel's sweaters, something involving eggnog knitted on the front. The S-class mage had let him keep it as a Christmas present.

"What's wrong, Reaper?" His familiar didn't say anything, and the silence only made that disturbed feeling grow. Despite what many thought, Reaper was friendly, communicating often with those that could understand him.

Reaper just floated out of the room, and Bayen grabbed one of his scythes as he followed the wraith, grip white-knuckled and palm sweaty. It was quiet, and what should've been a peaceful night felt _wrong_ , somehow. Something wasn't right.

He crept out onto the walkway leading from the Hermitage to the main Guild, ignoring the way his feet just about froze on the icy wood. Reaper waited only briefly for him before leading the way into the hall.

It was empty and dark inside, a stark contrast to the evening just a few hours before. The presents were still there, waiting to be unwrapped when morning came. But Reaper didn't stop there, waiting by the main entrance just long enough for Bayen to spot him before leaving.

"Hey, Reaper, wait! I'm not dressed for this!" He cursed, the wraith not listening to him or waiting. He hunched in on himself as he pulled the doors open, the wind whistling as snow buffered his underdressed form. " _Hellfire,_ " he muttered, putting only a small fraction of the usual energy into the spell, a rather sizable flame burning steady in his hand against the wind. The supernatural heat radiating from it kept him reasonably warm as he hurried through the snow, following the glimpses of his familiar further down the mountain.

Bayen's feet were near frozen by the time he caught up to Reaper, who was hovering quietly a short distance away from Spirit. The dark-haired mage had his back turned to both, shoulders hunched against the cold. He was trembling, but Bayen wasn't sure if it was from the cold. They were in the back of the cemetery, in an unusually large lot. The first Master of the Guild—the original, even before Shekinah—was buried beneath a blank gravestone here, the surrounding area clear of snow.

Bayen stepped closer—Spirit was staring at the grave, or at something by it—his feet hitting cool dirt. It was a relief compared to the frozen slush, but he hardly noticed it as he came to stand next to his friend. But no, they were really more like brothers, and Bayen felt that in the overwhelming stench of death as he stared at the sight before him.

His entire body felt cold, even with the hellfire still burning in his hands. He understood why Reaper had been so quiet now. He would be too.

Shekinah was hunched against the gravestone, cyclamen flowers scattered around her. The petals were reminiscent of blood, and the scene was haunting. Bayen wasn't an expert on spirits or souls the way the Hugues family was, but he could feel the absence of the old woman's soul. Shekinah's spirit was strong, powerful, and it often left a certain charge in the air where she was. It was a comforting aura, but the lack of it in the air left Bayen feeling cold and scared.

He opened his mouth, wanting to ask, but he closed it again. He didn't want to know. Spirit told him anyway.

"I can't feel her." His voice wavered. The kid much like a little brother to him was terrified, and Bayen was certain his blood froze in his veins.

"You mean she's…?"

Spirit shook his head, face red from the cold and the hot tears running down his face. "Even… Even in death a person's spirit lingers for a while. Some decide to stay, some move on after a couple days. But… But I can't feel her. I can't see her. It's like her soul was just… erased from existence." He was heaving, breath stuttering, and Bayen recognized the coming panic attack, pulling Spirit into what he hoped was a comforting hug. It was hard to comfort someone when you yourself were on the verge of breaking down.

…

The funeral was quiet. Bayen held his sister tightly, burying his face in her hair as she sobbed into his shoulder. Zack and Tatsuki stuck close together, tears running silently down her face, and his hands trembled, eyes bright. Magnus knelt before the fresh grave, shuddering breaths and shaking shoulders the only thing anyone could see. Aysel's expression was blank, shut down even with the tears streaming.

Asha, Aisen, and Anya didn't hold the emotional ties that the others had, but the thick sorrow was palpable, and it engulfed them the way it did the rest. Everyone had different ways of expressing their grief. Some, like Sophie, were silent and stony, while others like Elin cried openly. Spirit didn't. He stood there, staring blankly at the unmarked stone. Tea roses dangled limply from his hand.

…

When they all returned to the Guild hall, everyone shuffled into a seat, no one quite willing to be alone just yet. It was oddly silent, not even the creaking of the Guild or its other residents audible. For once, Riley wished they were around. The entirety of the place was suffocating. He wanted hot chocolate, but at the same time, the thought of it was oddly painful.

Spirit stepped past all of them, not pausing to sit down or talk, worried eyes following him as he made a beeline for the balcony. Bringer stood up abruptly, walking out of the room himself and towards the Hermitage, eyes stony.

Spirit pushed open the doors and stepped outside, not meeting any of the pitying eyes. The rest of the Guild members were shut out, leaving just him and the mountains. The air was cold enough that his breath came out in little clouds, and the fog was too thick to see the town below. He took a deep breath, relishing in the sharp sting of his lungs and the frost nipping at his face.

This was his home. His family. He looked up at the night sky, clear despite the fog. He took another deep breath, and spent many moments just watching the stars, staring at the path they tread across the sky. She would never walk that path, no matter how much he wished she could. But her soul was gone.

Spirit clutched the amulet around his neck, rubbing the smooth dark surface with his thumb. The shape of their Guild Mark, carved from the mountain stone, offered little comfort. The mountain spirits were quiet that day, the breeze elsewhere as the harsh wind bit at his weather-worn skin. Snowflakes danced in a flurry, and the lonely peaks looked down at the world below them. It was truly winter now.

 **End of Arc 1**

* * *

 **Hate me yet? This is only the beginning. :D**

 **Cyclamens - meaning "Goodbye" and "all things will eventually come to an end"; these are often used at funerals.  
Tea Roses - meaning "I will remember; always".**

 **NEWS**

 **All you straight bastards. xD For the sake of some characters having at least a chance at romance, I'm welcoming some gay/bi/pan characters with open arms. That would be nice, you know. Get some variety in there. (And yes, I'm starting to work through some of the romances and rivalries and nemeses and things, but this is not going to be a romance-centered fic. Just, love is a part of life. Yup.) This variety also accounts for the other Guilds. They all need some more male characters (females are taking over haha), but the Silent Moon Guild in particular needs some men. You'll see it on my profile: I'll have a need more men thing by each of the Guilds. When it starts to even out, those will go away.**

 **Also, Kive660 wants to draw some of the characters and possibly post it online for practice. If you're okay with it, just add it on in your review or PM me. :) (Some of you I may have already asked individually, but this is just a mass question really.) I may be drawing some stuff myself, eventually too, so I'll be taking your permission as an okay for both cases, if I go through with it.**

 **MY RAMBLING HI**

 **So that was the intro arc, so to speak. Some of the arcs (I like to call them mini arcs) will be about this long; others, such as the GMG, will be much longer. It will largely depend on how long each chapter ends up and what the overall plans for the arc are going to be. And just because this 'intro arc' is over, it doesn't mean this is the full set of characters. Far from it actually, haha. ^^ If your character is listed somewhere on my profile (not counting certain villains I don't want to reveal yet), then they've been accepted. Just keep a lookout for them. (But if you're dying to know, I can give you a rough estimate.)  
There's a mini arc coming up, and then the GMG, where all those other light Guilds will finally be introduced. But that's all I can tell you for the moment. ^^ Hope you're enjoying so far!**

 **Characters We Met:**

 **Julius Noventus – at twenty-one, Mister Impossible is one of the older mages and has been at the Guild for two years.** _By Captain Lassiter_ **  
Jack "Aisen" Yuki – At fourteen, the kid known as the Draedric Aura is one of the youngest mages to join yet.** _By Luchux_ **  
Anya Yuki – Jack's little sister, this eight year old is a civilian but stays at the Guild with her brother, helping out with maintenance and keeping spirits high.** _By Luchux_ **  
Rabayeniss "Bayen" Darner – The Nightmare King, he's the oldest member at twenty-four. He's been at the Guild almost nine years, second in seniority only to Magnus.** _By Jeptwin  
_ **Reaper – The wraith familiar of Bayen, who usually stays behind to help out around the Guild. He has his own magic called Grim Reaper, and can teleport between Bayen and the Guild.** _By Jeptwin_ **  
Zackery Masayoshi Orion – AKA the Phantom, this nineteen year old has been a member for a little under a year.** _By Lewamus Prime 2017  
_ **Mia Kipp – Bayen's fourteen year old half-sister, she knows a bit of cooking magic and helps out around the Guild, her home since she was five.** _By Jeptwin_


	6. Interlude I

**Interlude I**

 **X786  
Winter**

 **Soul Eater**

The Soul Stealer sat back in his chair, feet propped up on the dark stone surface of the table. Silver eyes watched his ten, and a glimmer of satisfaction flickered across his face, seen only in the twitch of his lips and the gleam in his eyes. These were the ones. It would be time soon.

"Where's Rasul?" Despite asking the question, the Shadow Demon didn't seem to actually care, sharp icy blue eyes focused entirely on the black and silver blade of the katana in his hand. One hand held onto the red hilt while the other wiped a cloth delicately over the metal. The cloth was stained a deep crimson.

"Can't you hear him from the basement? He's experimenting again." Kai looked up, dark brown hair more a black color in the dim lighting, hiding his left eye from view as he stared down the Blood Queen. A crimson snake eye stared back, challenging. After a moment, he scoffed, black combat boots thumping back onto the floor. The motion caused him to jerk forward, nothing keeping the chair he was sitting in from remaining suspended on two legs, and he turned back to cleaning his weapons.

The Blood Queen shook her head almost dismissively, adjusting the black cloak covering the entirety of her appearance. In the brief silence, the faint sound of screams echoed in the room, and a woman with sullen dark eyes nodded her head in time with the rise and fall of the screams. The screaming was abruptly cut short, and her black skull earrings dangled with the abrupt stop of her head.

"That's the ninth one." The Madam of the Damned sang, adjusting the black cloak she wore as it fell off her bare shoulder.

"How long do you think it will be before he runs out?" A mechanical arm moved another piece forward on the chessboard before the masked figure. There wasn't really any eyes to meet; a white mask covered the entirety of the Ghost's face, the black demon's hand that was the Guild Mark taking center stage on the blank canvas in place of facial expressions.

"The accountant lasted a week before she went." The Pale Witch smoothed out her crimson skirt, matching thigh high boots with white laces crossed over one another. She hummed quietly to herself a little tune that would've been creepy had her company been anyone else.

A brunette snickered from their seat, heterochromatic eyes glancing over at the Blood Queen momentarily with a smirk. "You think the mage will last longer?" Marionetta's smirk widened at the thought, fingers brushing the black gem inset into the choker around their neck.

The Ghost looked up from his single-player game. "Is that a bet?"

Their conversation was forgotten as the thick wooden doors creaked open, scraping along the stone. The typically sheet white spiky hair and deathly pale skin were both stained with blood, the long scar running across the man's bare chest an angry, jagged white line. He picked at the white sash holding up his baggy black shorts with slight discomfort. The sash was more of a vermillion than a white, to his slight chagrin. A silver ring glinted on his finger, a single opal inset in the center.

The Soul Stealer frowned. "I thought I told you to keep things quiet."

The Reaper looked up at him blankly, eyes a dark void. "I did."

"I asked him to dispose of some subjects." From behind the Reaper came the Butcher, dressed in a silken white shirt with golden stitching and a gray hunting tunic, his short gray hair spiked up with a little bit of grease. His skin and clothes were flawless, with the exception of a pair of gloves as bloody as the Reaper, which he stripped off with methodical movements.

The two came to sit at one of the few remaining empty seats. "Still, can't believe you managed to pull it off successfully. Guess I have to give you more credit." The Shadow Demon grinned at Reaper, who remained silent even as the others chimed in with their own opinions.

"Where's Copycat?" He spoke abruptly, silencing the brewing conversation.

The Soul Stealer, who had been oddly silent until that point, finally spoke. "Still on her own mission, as is Argyle." He looked around—everyone had straightened up in their seats—and he stood, hands slowly coming to rest atop the table. "When they return, we can finally begin."

Eight pairs of eyes looked back at him, gleaming, and Anima smiled.

* * *

 **X787  
Winter**

 **Somewhere in Southern Fiore**

Denebola was not expecting to run into Roadkill in the middle of the grassy region, the characteristic oni mask scaring off most people that would think of talking to him. He'd added a jacket over his black shirt for the winter, but the tall, intimidating figure had changed little from the last time they'd crossed paths.

Violet eyes narrowed with the quirky smile that spread across her face, and the silver-haired woman swung the longsword around in her hands—she'd just made it, her newest project, and had been in the process of testing it out until very recently—specks of blood flying off the tip of the blade and landing in the grass. She jogged a little to catch up to him, clapping him on the shoulder and making sure to avoid the red, spiked shoulder pad on his right.

The rogue mage didn't look very happy to see her, and that only made Denebola grin wider. "It's been a while Tenji! What brings you to this part of town?"

Tenji huffed through his nose, handing her a page of parchment that'd been folded up within his jacket. She glanced through its contents; he was on a job dealing with a dark Guild. Den's smile widened. This was just the thing to test her blade. She was trying to see how sharp she could make it, and feather-brained monsters only provided so much of a challenge.

"Mind if I help?" They both knew she wasn't actually looking for an answer; unfortunately, she got one.

"Already taken care of." Denebola huffed; well, that was unfortunate. She handed the ad back to the redhead, fingering the blue bangs of her silver hair. (She needed to dye them again soon.)

With Tenji, there tended to be long moments of silence. He was a quiet individual, and Denebola had found that pushing his buttons either had no effect or got out of hand, very fast. Last time, he'd gone God Mode and between the two of them, an entire small town had been destroyed.

She still felt a bit guilty about that, but she'd left them a note saying they could return the favor, so fair's fair. Probably. She wasn't quite sure how much of that should be divided between the two of them.

Starting to get somewhat tired of the silence—she had been alone in this field for several hours already, after all—Den hummed to herself, thinking of the best way she could have some fun without blowing everything up (again) when her boot thumped against something, and someone grunted from somewhere beneath her.

Both independent mages looked down in surprise to see the hardened face twisted in annoyance. The first thing to notice was the way his left eyelid sagged down a little over a brown eye, that same side of his mouth remaining strangely limp even as the right side moved. His cheek was heavily scarred, and there was nothing to hide it as his black hair was cropped short, the stubble on his chin no older than a few days at most.

"Well," Den stated, because she could, "Aren't you pretty?"

The six foot man grunted as he stood (he still wasn't quite as tall as Tenji though), the bear fur coat hiding most of his figure. A large, two-handed bearded axe was slung over his shoulder, indicating the no doubt muscular form beneath. As a blacksmith, Denebola couldn't help but whistle in appreciation at the site of the man's axe. The grip was dark red wood studded with iron, bands of steel running down each side to make it more durable. The blade itself was etched with runes, and she had no doubt the weapon had some kind of magical properties.

She definitely wanted to test it against her longsword.

Tenji seemed to understand what the glint in her eyes meant—he knew from personal experience, but that was a tale best told another time—as he reached out a hand as if to stop her. Both of them knew that when it came down to it, however, he wouldn't.

"Denebola—"

She swung her weapon wide and down, blocked with a clash of metal by the man's axe, the bearded end of it hooking around her sword and pulling it down. A wolfish grin crossed her face; she'd made it strong enough to prevent him from breaking it.

She leapt back as he swung at her, followed by a jab with the blunt end that narrowly missed her gut.

Tenji seemed disgruntled by the turn of events, though it was difficult to really say for sure with the oni mask hiding his face, but he stepped back, setting his large travelling bag down on the grass beside him and crossing his arms, observing the battle silently from the sidelines.

Denebola grinned as the axe caught her in the arm; a scratch, really, as it didn't even take off the limb, but an injury she could use nonetheless. " _Exchange!_ " The cut disappeared in a searing flash as a new kind of energy flowed through her.

It wasn't a lot of power, but it would last for a while, and her next swing caught the scarred stranger off-guard when there was suddenly more power on it than before.

Tenji continued watching passively from the sidelines, not really caring to get in the middle of things. That is, until the stranger retaliated.

" _Shockwave_ ," it was a soft murmur, a spell that didn't appear to do anything at first. But it sounded familiar, and the mage known as Roadkill narrowed his eyes, zeroing in on the other man. Denebola got close with a sharp uppercut that was definitely going to leave a mark later, but before she could react, he thrust his palm into her stomach, and Den was thrown backwards at the shockwave of compressed air rippling through her.

Tenji recognized that move, and this was a fight that would get ugly quick. He sighed; unnecessary environmental destruction would be best before they attract unwanted attention. He doubted the Rune Knights he'd seen a few miles back would just leave a couple of wanted mages alone.

Denebola had already turned her pain into more power, and their blades were clashing once more. It seemed the axe had a similar ability to her Miraculia magic, considering she wasn't immediately overpowering her opponent with pure strength. Of course, Tenji expected as much from a member of Soul Eater.

" _Arts of the Crystal God: Crystal Earth,"_ the area around them hardened into crystal, even the grass, his spell expanding miles wide. Denebola smashed a few blades of grass to shards as she went in for another swing, and with narrowed eyes and a sharp movement of his hand, the crystalized ground thundered as it rose, creating a sharp wall between the two.

Denebola stumbled to a stop—even though they both knew full well that with her current enhanced strength, she could probably break through—turning to glare at the culprit. "What the hell, Tenji?"

"If you destroy the entire field, you'll attract the attention of the Rune Knights."

Den scowled, and she drove her longsword into the crystal—or rather, attempted to. The blade wasn't quite durable enough to withstand his magic enhanced crystal, and it shattered upon contact with the force she'd put behind it. Her scowl deepened, and she drove her foot through the crystal, smashing through it this time with her own magic enhanced abilities.

But on the other side, the Bane was gone.

* * *

 **X787  
Winter**

 **Crocus**

The Captain sighed, lidded golden eyes watching the troops moving about tiredly. Her steel arm tugged at the black cloak draped over her shoulders, and she blinked once, twice. The Council had put her unit in charge of the Games this year, but she didn't understand why they needed to start preparations so early in the year. Her black hair whipped around her ankles in the wind, but it wasn't quite snowing yet. Which was probably a good thing, since she wasn't wearing her winter uniform.

Paris shook her head, pausing as she caught sight of a familiar face. Her frown deepened at the sight of short white hair and sharp red eyes, and quick strides brought her in pace with the woman.

"Azusa Hayashi," the woman continued walking, long brown sleeveless fur coat flapping behind her in the wind. "What, may I ask, are you doing here?"

The corner of Azusa's lip twitched at the question. "On a mission; what else would I be doing here?"

Paris' eyes narrowed; if she didn't know better, she'd say the Abyss Queen was a member of Fairy Tail. The Council's Guard Dog still remembered the last time they met—the Dragon Slayer had been put on trial for the destruction caused in Crocus at last year's Games—and first impressions weren't easily changed. Granted, the destruction wasn't actually the fault of Mermaid Heel, but it had somewhat soured her opinion of some of their members.

"Just because you managed to win last year's Games doesn't give you permission to stake out the grounds this year."

Azusa didn't answer, and Paris sighed in defeat. They were going nowhere fast with that conversation, though she supposed that was to be expected. The two of them didn't exactly get along very well.

"Fine. What mission are you on?" She closed her eyes for a moment, reminding herself to remain civil. Once she convinced the Slayer to leave town—or at the very least, the area—she could return to her work. (Boring as it was at the moment.)

When golden eyes opened again, they found a crumpled piece of paper thrust in their direction. "A couple of dark mages causing trouble. I took care of them."

It was the same group that had been the reason for Paris' unit to be there, since they'd been causing some trouble with the Games. Azusa really deserved a thank you. Paris gave her one, if begrudgingly. She had to give credit where credit was due, after all.

"Thank you."

Azusa rose a brow, finally glancing in her direction. "For what?"

"Nothing you need concern yourself with. Now I'd appreciate it if you left the area soon; I do have to do my job after all." Azusa snorted derisively as Paris tried to regain a bit of her professionalism. If what she'd heard from her sister was true, she was definitely going to have to keep an eye on the seals and barriers when they were set up. Some Guilds had members that got out of control fast, and really, Mermaid Heel should be the least of her problems.

Paris stopped, not wanting to get too far from the stadium, watching as Azusa continued on. The Slayer waved. "See you around, Cerberus."

Only Azusa could make it sound like an insult.

* * *

 **X787  
Winter**

 **Spirit Walker Cemetery**

It was quiet in the cemetery, with the exception of the soft crunch of footsteps in the snow.

A young man weaved a path between the stones, moving slowly, almost as if with hesitation. His weather worn skin was flushed from the cold, but he didn't seem to mind, wrapped simply in a coat pulled tight around his body. Dark hair was flecked with flakes of ice, looking silver in the evening light.

He didn't stop or pause, heading straight to the back of the cemetery, staring at the blank slate with a stony expression. He stood there for a long time in the silence, emotions travelling too quickly to register properly. None of it showed, not even in his eyes.

When he finally spoke, it was soft, quiet. Raw.

"I'll never be who you remember, Shekinah. I can't forgive you. But he would want me to visit you. So here," he laid a small bouquet of varied zinnias atop the dirt, next to the cyclamens and the tea roses. "These are from the boy you loved. I would wish you luck on the path to heaven, but we both know you're not there."

He left.

* * *

 **Varied Zinnias mean thinking of an absent friend, or in memory of an absent friend.**

 **So we meet a *lot* of characters this chapter haha. And you've met our main villains now, yaaay. :D Well, most of them, anyways.  
And I'm sure some of you noticed that I spent my time on other things instead of finishing this. :P To be honest, I got stuck on this chapter a little, haha, so I decided to put my creative energies elsewhere until something came to me. Also that Z Nation fanfiction called to me. (I wrote it in record time, that's how bad it was.)**

 **Characters We Met:**

 **The Soul Stealer – Known by his Guild as Anima, the mysterious Master and Founder of Soul Eater. He's younger than most expect.  
The Shadow Demon – Otherwise known as Kai, a twenty-two year old that's been a member of the dark Guild for five years.** _By WhitewolfLune_ **  
The Blood Queen – A member since its founding, this twenty-four year old is one of the senior members.** _By GiantPsychoGecko_ **  
The Madam of the Damned – This twenty year old is the most recent addition, having joined only two years ago.** _By akuminogo1996_ **  
The Ghost – One of the youngest members at nineteen, this dark mage has been a member for five years.** _By Captain Lassiter_ **  
The Pale Witch – The oldest member at forty years, she joined eight years ago.** _By Dragvil1996_ **  
Marionetta – The member the others know the least about, they've been around presumably since the Guild was formed. Their age is unknown.** _By GiantPsychoGecko_ **  
The Reaper – Recently returned, he's twenty-seven and has been around since he was twenty.** _By GiantPsychoGecko_ **  
The Butcher – Rasul is twenty-nine, and has been a member for eight years.** _By Torsa_ **  
Copycat – Twenty-three, this currently absent member has been around for seven years.** _By TenaciousTurtleDuck_ **  
The Bane – At twenty-three, Argyle has been a member for four years.** _By Torsa_

 **Denebola El-Rafil – The Harbinger of Miracles, this nineteen year old independent mage has a rather large bounty on her head.** _By Hofund_ **  
Tenji Kakou – A rogue mage, this twenty-four year old is better known as Roadkill.** _By DragonK1ng_ **  
Paris Payne – AKA Cerberus, the Guard Dog of the Magic Council. The twenty-six year old is a Captain in the Rune Knights.** _By LittleMage1996_ **  
Azusa Hayashi – The Abyss Queen of Mermaid Heel, an S-class mage that's been with her Guild for eight years. She's eighteen years old.** _By altajir95_


	7. Arc 2-1

**Arc 2 - Fate From the Souls Make  
Episode 1**

 **X787  
Winter**

 **Spirit Walker**

After a few months, mages started going on jobs again. The Council came by briefly, some to give their regards, some to get the paperwork.

Life started moving on, and things seemed to be getting back to normal.

Well, mostly.

Magnus' brows drew even closer together as he stared hard at the closed door leading to the balcony. Spirit was out there—had been for the past few hours—and while the kid had always liked the warmer months, the unusually sharp chill of the day should have been enough to keep him of all people inside. Yet, he had gone outside with not much more than a light jacket on.

Tatsuki sat down beside him, following his gaze to the doors. "He's still out there?"

A nod.

She pursed her lips in thought, expression now mirroring his own. "He's changed so much in only a few months."

"He's a completely different person." Magnus finally spoke, soft and quiet and just a little hoarse. "That guy out there? I don't know him."

They lapsed back into silence after that.

…

Sophie gripped the edge of the ad, making as if to pull it off, only to sigh and release the paper once more. She couldn't bring herself to go on a mission, hadn't for months. She needed the money, but…

Miwa met her eyes for a moment, blue staring into brown, and Sophie sighed once more, this time in defeat as she stroked the kitsune's fur. Miwa didn't say anything about the way her hand shook, and for that Sophie was grateful.

They'd all been struggling to return to normalcy, not just for Spirit's sake, but for their own. In the wake of the senior members' own grief, though, the rookies had been really picking up the slack. Asha went on missions left and right, sometimes dragging the more sullen members to join her and get them out of their rooms. Zack had followed her example rather quickly, sometimes tag-teaming it with the others. (They'd tried to drag Sophie on a mission, but it had been a bad day and thankfully, Miwa was able to ward them off.) Anya and Aisen had practically taken over the duties that Mia and the Master had formerly done. Keeping the Guild clean, the members fed, and on occasion even attempting to herd the ghostly inhabitants.

Sophie frowned at that. The ghosts were usually a scarce presence; most members who'd been around less than four years had never even seen them. They stayed out of sight, more often than not invisible to the naked eye for all but the more… spiritually inclined, noticeable previously only because the Master would stop to talk with them. Many thought her crazy for talking to the air. Sophie had too, until she'd seen her first spirit.

But since the funeral, they'd practically run rampant, shimmering into visibility and scaring the wits out of most people. They wandered through the halls of the Guild, sometimes walking in on someone changing in their room in the Hermitage, at other times phasing right through someone's food. They didn't interact with the rest of the Guild much, perhaps with the exception of Spirit, but it wasn't hard to notice. They were agitated, frantic.

"You know, I don't think you're ever going to go on another mission. You've been standing here every day but you haven't chosen one yet." Sophie sighed in slight annoyance, staring up at the young boy hanging upside down over the Job Board. She had rather quickly learned that spirits still retained some of their magic. Whether or not they had enough energy to utilize it on top of maintaining a solid form was another story. Kneph, the Zero Gravity mage, grinned down at her. Sophie tried to avert her eyes from the gaping hole in his chest as he turned over midair. "You waiting for the right one?" He snickered, flipping onto the floor in front of her.

"I thought you couldn't use magic." Sophie raised a brow at him, though she'd like nothing more than to leave at that moment. The kid—it was disturbing enough that she was talking to a dead child—had been bothering her for weeks.

Kneph snickered. "With the amount of magic energy all you mages are giving off while sitting around and moping, it's not that hard."

"I can't see the jobs behind you, Kneph." The boy jumped as golden eyes narrowed in his direction. The Celestial Mage tucked a wayward bright orange strand of her bobbed hair back behind her ear, her other hand resting on the sword at her hip. Kneph jumped back into the air, eyeing the blade warily.

"Fine, fine. Just keep that thing away from me." He glowered at the weapon once more before letting himself float up and into the rafter beams. When Sophie glanced up, she could see him peeking down below.

Olivia Payne rolled her eyes at the ghost, brushing off her skirt and adjusting the red blouse she wore, jostling the loosely tied black bowtie as a result. She scanned the Job Board with a practiced eye, frowning for a moment before plucking the one that Sophie had been eyeing off the board.

She glanced back at the weight of Sophie's gaze. "What?"

Sophie pressed her lips together, feeling once more Miwa's comforting warmth on her shoulder and the tickle of fur against her face. Her eyes stared at the pink nose ring on Olivia's nose rather than meeting her eyes (she couldn't show weakness, she had to be vigilant and on guard at all times) before ultimately deciding it was best to say nothing and turning on her heel.

Olivia narrowed her eyes at the abrupt departure, but left the thought alone. The sooner she was on her way with this mission, the better.

* * *

 **X787  
Spring**

 **Spirit Walker**

Spirit stared at the jagged cliffs of the mountain; the last of the frost still clung to life up in the crags, where civilization had yet to touch. The harsh winds cut through his clothes and skins and right into his bones, but Spirit hardly felt it. The chill had been there since the depths of winter, an absence of space that had settled into the marrow of his bones, the veins that coursed through his body and his heart, the very life that made up his soul.

He didn't quite know how to explain it. Grief didn't seem to describe it, as if his very spirit had been torn from his body.

Death had always been just a transition, a movement from one state of being to another. But Gran… it was more like she'd been ripped away from him, as if her soul had been swallowed whole by oblivion. Was this what it felt like, for the people that never understood Death?

"You could get sick dressed like that out here."

Spirit glanced at the newcomer from out of the corner of his eye, seeing the unkempt turquoise hair and knowing immediately who it was. Suna's aqua blue eyes bore into him, despite the disinterested expression on his face, with a knowing that had Spirit folding in on himself a little. Suna's olive skin tone hinted bronze in the sunlight as he stepped closer, black boots silent on the creaky wood. He stripped the black tailcoat he wore, draping it over the younger mage.

"Did you do as I asked?" Spirit didn't voice his appreciation, but it was communicated nonetheless.

Suna pushed up the rolled up sleeves of the navy turtleneck he wore, fiddling with the navy clasps on his black vest as he spoke. "Yes. Your hunch was correct."

Spirit sighed heavily, resting his arms atop the balcony. The wood was cold, but he didn't bother to brush off the frost. "…What am I supposed to do now?"

"Shekinah would tell you to stand tall," Suna leaned against the balcony next to him. "You're the Guildmaster now. You can't shut yourself away anymore. You have a job to do, people who need you." Beneath the stubborn determination and dull intensity of his eyes, there was a gentle warmth, and Suna smiled reassuringly. Spirit's lips twitched, but otherwise he remained sullen, staring out into the mountainside. The older mage straightened, stretching against the cold. "Just don't forget that you have people you can lean on, too."

Suna ruffled a head of dark hair and headed inside.

Spirit sighed again, watching his breath puff out before him, rubbing the amulet around his neck. His thumb traced the outline of the footprint, the symbol of their Guild. "People who need me… huh?"

* * *

 **X787  
Spring**

 **Lilium**

There was something wrong. Magnus could inherently feel it, a feat he was probably only capable of because they'd known each other for over seven years. He watched Jack, the way he was more distant than usual, refusing to open up even to those he'd known the longest. At first, he'd thought it was just grief. Every member had their own way of grieving after Shekinah died, and Jack tended to be a little more reserved than others, and despite his friendly demeanor, he liked having time to himself. Magnus himself wasn't the same after that, and that was without mentioning the case that was Spirit.

But, as more and more time went on, he was starting to realize that grief wasn't the problem. No, it only hid the real issue.

Carbuncle nudged his hand, snapping Magnus out of his thoughts. He looked down, only then noticing the white-knuckled grip he had on his glass. Magnus frowned. He couldn't recall when he'd started drinking. That was definitely a bad sign, and he grimaced as he pushed the whiskey away, murmuring a thank you to his friend, who only continued watching him with large concerned eyes.

White and blue stripes flashed into vision as Bayen slid onto the barstool beside him, taking the abandoned whiskey and downing it himself. "You mind if I have this?"

Magnus rolled his eyes, but he cracked a smile nonetheless, feeling a little more like himself. "You already drank it."

The brunette shrugged, leaning back and watching the other Guild members. It was a quiet day; the rowdiest happening was the poker game between some of the Guildmembers (a couple ghosts included). "But seriously, are you okay? You've been spacing out a lot lately." The whiskey glass filled itself on its own, but neither of them questioned it, and Bayen downed it once more.

"I could ask you the same question. How are you handling things? And how's Mia been doing?" Magnus didn't need to look at his friend to know the expression on his face. He took the offered glass of whisky.

…

On the other side of the room, the poker game was heating up. The dealer—one of the ghosts, who looked extremely intimidated by the other members of the table—laid down the cards, and Mister Impossible smirked.

"Full House," he sat back, spreading his cards out on the table. Riley groaned, lavender hair flopping as he slouched back in his chair and threw down his cards. July already had a sizable pile of jewels stacked carefully beside him. Riley's own spread was pitiful in comparison.

Across from the two was another of the resident spirits, his free-floating head giving off an obnoxious smirk as he spread his own cards out, hands detached from the pieces of arms the hung together by nothing at all.

"Royal Flush," the Puppet Master shot back, the other players shooting forward to get a closer look. Shankara smirked, head bobbing as he nodded in arrogance.

"You totally cheated!" Erie shrieked, pointing at the ghost, who simply lifted his hands as if to say, 'and what can you do about it?'

The third and last spirit sitting at their table scoffed. "You used your hypnosis magic on Mallory, didn't you? There's nothing beautiful in cheating." She tossed her hair back, standing. Her legs passed through the chair momentarily as she did so, peering down her nose with cloth-covered eyes at the two large piles of jewels on the table before stalking out of the room, heels silent.

Shankara snickered as he pulled in his winnings.

"What are you even going to do with all that money? You're dead." July's fingers twitched, as if he was trying not to reach for the money receding from him, and Shankara's smug look intensified as his eyes flickered down to the twitchy fingers.

"I don't see how that's any of your business." Shankara shrugged with his hands, seeing as he had a torso but no shoulders, and Riley groaned again—this time, though, it was for an entirely different reason.

"Aahh, I give up. I'm going to go take a nap." The Iron Skin mage stretched as he stood, very pointedly looking away from the spirits in the room as he escaped.

Erie heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Well, we might as well throw it in here. The only other players that play fair just left."

July rose a brow, "And what are you insinuating, Five-Knuckle Sakamoto?" She stuck her tongue out at him, the two slapping away the dismembered hands reaching for their winnings. Shankara glowered.

Appearing from behind an armchair by the fireplace, Bringer yawned, glancing over at the game. "I can play, if you don't mind."

Leaping from her chair, Erie dragged him over, the droopy-eyed mage nearly tripping over the couch as his arm was taken hostage. "You got money, right?"

Bringer nodded, sharp purple eyes watching as he sat, narrowing. But when deep blue turned to find the source, their owner turned away again, downing another glass of whisky.

* * *

 **X787  
Spring**

 **Shirotsume Town, Central Fiore**

The Castle Hook Café was a small place, with most of its seating consisting of quaint tables with a couple chairs outside, allowing customers to enjoy the mild weather and gentle atmosphere of the town. It was a slow day, with most everyone working, and a lone mage enjoyed the sun, sipping at a cup of tea.

"Arden?"

A tall, slender person glanced up at the young man staring down at them. They adjusted the navy bowtie around their neck, brushing off a formal vest of the same color before standing. They smiled, honey brown eyes sharp despite their overall relaxed demeanor.

"Suna, it's been a long time."

He nodded, tucking a stray turquoise strand behind his ear. "That it has." Suna took a seat across from Arden, waving off the waitress that rushed over to their table.

Arden rose a brow at the action. "No tea?"

"I won't be here long," the mage shook his head before continuing, "But how is Silas? He has been hanging out with your Guild, hasn't he?"

Suna watched as Arden's dark brown braided bun fell loose, the dark-skinned mage reaching back to retie it at the nape of their neck. "Unfortunately," they heaved out a large sigh, leaning back in their chair exasperatedly. "He's been draining our supply of liquor, and as I'm sure you know, physical punishments do no good against a masochist. I tried to give him some advice on his attire the other day, but…" They shrugged, a smile flickering across their companion's face.

"That sounds like him. Thank you for looking after him for us, and I apologize for all the trouble."

Arden's haughty expression softened, their honey-brown eyes aging a few hundred years. "But your Guild has been going through a lot lately, hasn't it? That's why one of your core members has been hanging around us; he's seeking the comfort of a blood relative." Their expression was sharp with the depth of an intelligent mind honed by time and rigorous study. "That's why you sought me out as well, is it not? You need something of me concerning the death of Shekinah Hugues."

All pleasantries dissipated with that statement, and the Burning Leviathan grimaced. "Yes. There is something I wish to confirm."

Before Suna could say another word, however, a man's thin build stopped before their table, dressed in black pants and a black jacket with scarlet lining. The silver dragon's head that made up the buckle of his belt gleamed. Wide, round eyes looked down on them with constricted pupils, small and feral. Dark rings only served to emphasize the inhumanness in his gaze.

"Ohhh, well if it isn't the Astronomer. I never thought I'd see your face again." Arden went rigid in their seat, eyes taking in the newcomer's appearance, from the reptilian-esque, long green hair to the silver ring on his left index finger with the inscription _666_ engraved in a bold black font.

Suna's eyes narrowed, standing and subtly moving in front of Arden. "Gecko."

Gecko smirked. "Well, well, well. What a reunion this is. All we're missing is the Sun Goddess. Is she on her way?"

* * *

 **X787  
Spring**

 **Just Outside Lilium**

The world was quiet, almost eerily so, as the last of the sun's rays disappeared below the horizon. Two people stood at the base of the mountain, alone, staring down at the town below. Above them, the biting cold wind was unforgiving, the lonesome peaks intimidating as they looked down upon the rest of the world.

"Now what?"

Cloaked in black, a crimson snake's eye glowered down at the town with an iciness that threatened to bring them back into winter. Long, curly brown hair fluttered in the wind, contrasting with the tight leather they wore. Heterochromatic eyes watched their partner more than the scenery.

"Let's have some fun~!"

The cloaked figure turned to the heterochromatic eyes watching them. "We're here to see that woman's progress, not to goof around."

A green eye and a blue eye turned up to the sky, and their owner sighed. "Ahh, that's true. The Master wouldn't be happy if he found out, huh?" They hummed, their cheerful demeanor contrasting with the burn scars marring their left side. "Well, if we keep a low-profile it won't be a problem, right?"

The scarlet snake's eye disappeared for a moment as its owner sighed. "Your definition of fun isn't low-profile."

"Now, now, I'm sure it'll be fun! If anything happens, I'll take responsibility~!"

Night fell, and darkness descended upon Lilium.

* * *

 **(So I think I'm going to start doing these for each arc, since I moved that cliffhanger I was going to make you hate me with.)**

 **Next Episode…  
** _The large dog nearly broke down the doors, shaking bits of grass and brambles from his fur as he ran into the Guild, nearly bowling Spirit over in his haste._

 _The Guildmaster blinked as he righted himself, staring down with raised brows at the Saint Bernard in bewilderment. "Barik…? What are you…" he paused, changed his question, "Where's Elin?"_

 _Mia ran her hand over the canine's fur in an attempt to calm him, scratching behind the ears before letting her palm run along Barik's side. She let out a noise somewhere between a shriek and a gasp, jerking away, and her hand came back stained red. "Blood…?"_

 **ACTUAL NEWS YUP**

 **But this arc is going to be fairly short—probably only three to four chapters, and then we'll be moving on to the next arc. :3 I hope you'll be looking forward to it, haha. Also, submissions for the other Light Guilds will probably close soon, but before that I need a few more men for all of them. I promise they'll have more appearances than just the GMG, as I'll try to showcase them often, but men (and at least one gay/bi/pan guy) would be wonderful thanks. ;3**

 **MY RAMBLING YAAAY**

 **I'm so shocked; we're already at 50 reviews holy crap. *^* You guys are so amazing. I apologize for the long wait, especially after that. This chapter was hard to write, especially since I'm just introducing this rather short arc. The next chapter is very thoroughly planned out, on the other hand, so while I can't promise being faster, it'll at least be much easier to write.  
This chapter was definitely hard to finish, especially with my workload and family stress, haha. If I don't know exactly what to do, I tend to flounder, and I didn't exactly have a lot planned for this particular chapter, so I screwed myself over a little whoops. That was mainly because I wanted to put all the action in the next chapter. (But if that one gets long enough, I may split it into two, so if it takes long, it's cause I'm writing two chapters at once, probably.)  
And you guys gave me such great characters for the more minor Guilds, I feel guilty not using them. So for most of the arcs, I'll be featuring several arcs in one, so to speak. The main Guild's arc, of course (sometimes that'll also have two, depending), and at least one other Guild will have its own arc, featuring at least one character. The exceptions, of course, are the few arcs that'll be featuring all the Guilds relatively equally, such as the GMG arc.**

 **Characters We Met:**

 **Olivia Payne – A sixteen year old celestial mage that's been a member of Spirit Walker for three years.** _By LittleMage1996_ **  
Suna Dire – An A-rank mage good enough to be S-class, the Burning Leviathan is in his late twenties and has been a member since around the Guild's opening, though little else is known about him.** _By HiroshitheHawk_

 **Arden Tempest – Considered one of the strongest mages in Wilted Rose, this S-class mage looks twenty-five, and has been a member for two years. Their gender is unspecified.** _By InkwellPrincess_

 **Gecko – An independent dark mage, the Zombie's rank is unknown but presumed to be at least S-rank. Despite his preferred pronouns, he's actually genderless.** _By PainX65_


End file.
